Cavs Can’t Stand Heat: 4 Things We Learned

The Cleveland Cavaliers got taken to the woodshed by the Miami Heat in a 99 – 84 loss that wasn’t even close.

There was very little positive about last night’s Cavs loss to the Heat. Without LeBron James and without anything that resembled heart, the Cavs were lucky to score 80 points and were lucky to only lose by 15.

This isn’t a sky is falling type of game. Not having LeBron, Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert is enough to lose to most teams. As noted on the broadcast last night, it is clear that Kevin Love would not have been able to carry the Cavs the way LeBron did last year late in the Playoffs and NBA Finals.

That is okay. There are reasons for that.

What is a bit troubling is the overall effort and lifelessness that was seen on the court last night.

On to 4 Things We Learned from Cavs Vs Heat:

1. LeBron is not going to play all the games

LBJ had stated his goal was to play all 82 games. Obviously he missed last night’s game but he may play even less than you expect. Coach David Blatt noted that James would be sitting some of the tail ends of back to back games for the Cavs. It is very possible that LeBron misses 10 or more games this season.

Besides those with tickets, this is something Cavs fans should celebrate. While LeBron has gone all “professional all the time” mode for the Cavs, the Regular Season is not that important for this team. Instead, the Cavs have to manage LeBron’s minutes no matter what their star wants.

We will see whether James buys in to missing more games than expected, especially if the team looks as bad as they did last night.

2. Ball handling should not be overlooked

One of the reasons that Love can not dominate games like LeBron or Kyrie. That is what happens because big guys can’t handle the ball. Without two of their three stars, the Cavs were down to Matthew Dellavedova and Mo Williams to handle the ball.

While Delly has improved greatly this season, he is still a very limited player when it comes to creating. With LBJ and Love on the floor, Delly is given more space in the lane for his floaters or Delly-oop passes. Without LeBron, the Heat packed the paint and caused problems for the Aussie.

Mo hasn’t been himself since missing time due to leg injuries. Some has to do with him preparing for Kyrie’s return but Mo’s efficiency is less than impressive. Even earlier in the season, Mo was taking a ton of midrange shots. Last night Mo had 5 points, 4 fouls, 1 turnover and 1 assist.

Both players struggled defensively against the quick, athletic players in the Heat backcourt. Hopefully Iman Shumpert can help in this area when he returns.

3. Minutes, rotations are confusing

Blatt was limited without some of his stars but who got minutes and who played together left something to be desired. Love only played 22 minutes and Williams only played 12. While Mo had foul trouble at some points in the game, Love only had 2 fouls all game.

That often left J.R. Smith as the Cavs lone offensive weapon on the floor. The streaky shooter scored 12 points on 12 shots. Richard Jefferson ended up leading the Cavs in shots and points.

Without LeBron and Irving, Mo and Love should have been the main components of the offense. Instead the two only shared the floor for 3.1 minutes last night.

James Jones, someone who can help space the floor, only played 14 minutes, most late in the blowout.

Blatt’s rotations left a lot to be desired.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

4. The sky is not falling

While many Cavs fans are also fans of the Cleveland Browns, this is not the Browns. While LeBron and the Cavs have seemed to overreact to losses so far this year, the sky is not falling.

Don’t stress. While we are not sure that Irving and Shumpert automatically fixes everything, the Cavs are far from complete right now.

Remember that the Cavs were 19 – 20 in December last year. Today the Cavs are 13 – 7 and tied with the Heat for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

What did you learn from the Cavs loss last night?