King James Gospel
Fansided

The Cleveland Cavaliers Bench Is Their Biggest Problem

By Nathan Beighle

May 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including forward Kevin Love (0), guard Iman Shumpert (4), guard J.R. Smith (5), and center Tristan Thompson (13) celebrate Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams' (52) three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The three-pointer was the 25th of the game for the Cavs. The Cavs won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
May 4, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; The Cleveland Cavaliers bench, including forward Kevin Love (0), guard Iman Shumpert (4), guard J.R. Smith (5), and center Tristan Thompson (13) celebrate Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mo Williams' (52) three-pointer during the fourth quarter in game two of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. The three-pointer was the 25th of the game for the Cavs. The Cavs won 123-98. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Cleveland Cavaliers are still the best team in the Eastern Conference, but they must start winning again and it starts with their bench.

The Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James recently gave a call to action about obtaining a playmaker. He did this because the bench and other two starters have yet to significantly contribute for this championship-caliber team.

James called out the Cavaliers for being top-heavy. According to ESPN, James said this:

"“It’s like when you don’t have bodies. It’s tough,” James said. “The (expletive) grind of the regular season. We’re a top-heavy team. We have a top-heavy team. We top-heavy as s—. It’s me, [Kyrie Irving], [Kevin Love]. It’s top-heavy.”"

The Cavaliers bench is the 28th worst in the NBA. They score just 28.7 points per game. With the absence of J.R. Smith, the pulling of Iman Shumpert into the starting unit has hurt the bench even more. In the last 15 games, the Cavaliers bench has somehow managed to score less than the 28.7 points they usually achieve.

The Big 3 (Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love) are all in the top 30 in scoring; the next Cavaliers to show up isn’t even within the top 140. The next Cavalier is Channing Frye who is ranked #142. This is top-heavy. James absolutely has a point.

The Cavaliers depend on the Big 3 for 64.4% of their team’s scoring. If I had to make a bet, I would almost guarantee that that percentage is the most of any three players on an NBA team this season. This just continues to prove James’ point, and it should send a resounding message to the wizard known as GM David Griffin.

Must Read: Cleveland Cavaliers: Jarrett Jack Is the Perfect Target

Tell us.

We know the Cavaliers bench is pitiful, so who would you target to improve that problem?