For Starters: Cavaliers Looking For Answers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are down 2 – 0 and are looking for answers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers need help. They’re turning the ball over too much, giving up too many easy looks at the rim and behind the line, and they can’t score, as there is nobody to score from off of the bench. Right before garbage time, Coach Lue called a substitution that got me back up out my seat though the game was out of reach. It looks like major adjustments are on the horizon. He made me think. He put in Timofey Mozgov to actually play.

Clearly Mozgov would supplant his usurper, Tristan Thompson, as starting center. But allow me to ask a big question, should the team’s starting power forward, currently concussed Kevin Love, come off of the bench for the Cleveland Cavaliers too?

Manu Ginobli style.

Both help the team, providing scoring balance and opportunities among stars and always keeping a member of the Big Three on the floor. The difference is that Love isn’t a two-guard with a diverse skill set, he’s a power forward with a diverse skill set.

Out of the Big Three, he’s the weakest link defensively. The Cleveland Cavaliers have two problems on defense, protecting the rim and late rotations. Kevin Love, though offensively versatile and accepting the defensive challenge, simply lacks lateral quickness and a high level of defensive awareness and is a major culprit in both of these issues.

Offensively, he seems to be a man without a niche. To me, he seems to be the consistent scoring presence off the bench the Cleveland Cavaliers drastically need. He also needs the bench as much as they need him. There often doesn’t seem to be enough basketball to go around and the team seems to be thinking about who should score next and being fair, instead of just scoring.

Don’t ask who replaces Love in the starting lineup, the answer is obvious. David Griffin didn’t trade fan favorite Anderson Varejao for no reason. He didn’t trade him for Channing Frye, for Frye not to play. Frye’s presence balances the floor and scoring 1 through 5 for the Cleveland Cavaliers while also being a better defender than with an effective FG% of 79.4% for Frye versus 49.1% for Love and a defensive rating 97.6 for Frye versus 106.6 for Love.

Yet HC Tyronn Lue has barely played the tall, lanky shooter in the Finals.

If Frye starts for Love, who does Mozgov start for? Can Tristan Thompson be the rim-protecting presence needed on defense? Honestly, smart money says no.

After the Cleveland Cavaliers gave up 54 points in the paint in Game 1, they gave up 50 points in the paint in Game 2. In addition, the Cavs were outrebounded 46-34, and were -9 on the defensive boards. Thompson, though known for his offensive rebounding, fails to box out consistently and as a result is only an average-at-best defensive rebounder. This has been especially true in the NBA Finals, as the Warriors gang-rebound and Thompson often looks like a small forward battling for rebounds against them.

The position that hasn’t been accounted for in this remodel, shooting guard. Cavaliers swingman JR Smith has not handled the pressure well despite my intense desire for him to. He shouldn’t even be starting in such a high pressure situation. My theory is that Smith, Love, Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova, and Iman Shumpert provide a mixture of offensive and defensive threats from off of the bench to match that of the Warriors if not surpass it.

However, the threat of JR’s three-point shot is tremendously valuable for the starting lineup and can’t be understated. Luckily, there are three other guards capable of stepping in as starting shooting guard and providing that deep shooting. Richard Jefferson (43.5% from three this postseason), James Jones (39.8% from three for his career), and Jordan McCrae (45.5% from three in the regular season). To inspire LeBron James‘ confidence and because of his basketball IQ, his shooting, his veteran leadership, and his length and activity, Jefferson could be a major upgrade over Smith who’s coughing up a lung in these Finals. However, keep in eye out for “Champ” and the rookie McCrae.

Proposed Starting Lineup

PG: Kyrie Irving
SG: Richard Jefferson
SF: LeBron James
PF: Channing Frye
C: Timofey Mozgov

What this group lacks in star power they make up in understanding their roles. Jefferson played 26 minutes in Game 2 and won’t hesitate to shoot or make a play. He’ll play smart and not turn the ball over. Some may wonder why not start Shumpert or Dellavedova, especially given that Shaun Livingston was guarded by Jefferson primarily in Game 2. Firstly, Livingston could be brought at any time and there’s no need to wait to bring in a key threat’s primary defender, especially if that defender won’t give up nearly the type of height that Dellavedova would. As for Shumpert, I’m just not sure that he’s that big of an upgrade over Smith offensively without his niche on the bench.
The only potential liability is Mozgov, who played dismally at the end of the season, but it’s evident the Cleveland Cavaliers need someone to protect the rim. Frye played 4 minutes of Game 2 because Lue couldn’t figure out how to get him in the game. Love will still be woozy from his hit by the time you read this. Frye gets the call over Thompson for spacing, consistency, and intensity, as weird as the intensity part sounds.
This lineup is a little Spurs-y, and Thunder-y (Golden State’s only real competition as of late) as well. Your point guard and small forward are your two-headed monster offensively, your shooting guard defends better than he shoots and provides energy, hustle, and other intangibles, your power forward has shooting range and 6’11 length to shoot over the top of a defender or block a shot by the tin, your center can score in the post and block a shot with equal proficiency. Talk about LeBron and Kyrie being aggressive and attacking, this should be Shaq-Kobe levels of aggressive offensive production from the duo.

Proposed Bench Unit

PG: Matthew Dellavedova
SG: Iman Shumpert
SF: JR Smith
PF: Kevin Love
C: Tristan Thompson

This lineup reminds me of Love’s Minnesota Timberwolves. Hopefully, it’ll remind him too. He needs to get going, yes. Yet, I’ve always considered his best role for this squad as one where he comes off the bench to provide shooting, rebounding, and playmaking at an elite level. There’s just not enough Spalding to go around in the starting lineup with Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and a designated sniper. The Cleveland Cavaliers force feed him to make him feel good. If he’s coming off the bench, he’s supposed to score and be the focus for a little while and he can’t get exposed on defense as much.
The same applies to Smith, who doesn’t have to be the man to score all the threes on the starting lineup or overthink on how to impress LeBron while out with the starters. Thompson can’t protect the rim or box out and his body language and energy has left a lot to desire, but he also can barely score without a lob from Dellavedova. Bringing Thompson and Dellavedova on the floor at the same time to sub in for Mozgov and Irving or Jefferson with Dellavedova might do Thompson wonders offensively.
The Cleveland Cavaliers can also segway into or maneuver out of their James Gang lineup smoothly with this bench unit. I’d love to see this five out on the floor as a platoon swap because Dellavedova would make things easy for everybody to score and play tough defense, Shumpert would provide the hustle and the glue, Smith would shoot and play inspiring defense, Love would be the focal point offensively, and Thompson would connect on plenty of lobs from Dellavedova and continue to cover for Love by rebounding and providing weakside help.

More from King James Gospel

The Cleveland Cavaliers are overmatched and down 2-0 in the NBA Finals. Kevin Love is concussed but wasn’t doing well anyways, missing from three and being bullied by Andrew Bogut and Draymond Green in the paint. Tristan Thompson is struggling with his game for a second round in a row. JR Smith is struggling to show up for a second Finals in a row. It’s time to help them out by putting them in more advantageous situations.

Even if the solution seems unconventional, the San Antonio Spurs won five rings after bringing their third option from off the bench. The Cavs have a Danny Green (JR) but maybe Bruce Bowen (RJ) is better for these Cavs as a starter? An understated center to protect the rim never hurt them either.

Lue should take notes from Doc, but he definitely should take a page from Pop.