With the “monumental” off-season the Cleveland Cavaliers had heading into this season, everyone knew the team was going to be a force to be reckoned with. I mean, lets face it- any team fielding the trio of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love would be. So while we knew the Cavs would be a top team in the Eastern Conference, the question still begged- how far would this team go? Well, many people believed two men would play critical parts off the bench for the Cavaliers this season, Mike Miller and James Jones.
Turns out, that hasn’t exactly been the case.
Both Miller and Jones have underachieved greatly during the Cavaliers first 55 games of the season. Neither of them are shooting effectively from the three point arch, they aren’t spacing the floor like they were meant to and it seems like the Cavs are playing 4-on-5 when one or the other is on the floor. Despite all of this though, they haven’t been completely useless, as the two have been true professionals all season and have helped bring a winning mentality to the team.
Before I break down the first half of the season for the two men, lets take a look back at what the expectations for them were heading into this season.
Oct 30, 2014; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Mike Miller (18) defends against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. New York won 95-90. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Pre-Season Expectations
Like I previously mentioned, both men were meant to play important roles off the pine for Cleveland this season. The two brought a wealth of playoff experience to the squad and are both proven winners in this league. Many were looking forward to what the two could bring to this team. Lets start off with what the expectations for Miller were heading into this season.
After a bad back forced the Miami Heat to use their amnesty cause on Miller, which drew the ire of James, Miller went on to have a quite remarkable season for the Memphis Grizzles last season. I say remarkable because Miller managed to play in all 82 games (and all 7 playoff games) that the Grizzles played last season, after only playing 59 games (17 playoffs) in the previous season with the Heat.
In those 82 games with the Grizzlies last season, Miller put up 7.1 points game but did so with a 48.1% field goal percentage and an incredible 45.9% from downtown. Miller’s three point percentage is really the key here, as he spaced the floor excellently for Memphis, which allowed the duo of Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol with plenty of space to work inside, as defenders always had to account for Miller. When Memphis needed a bail out plan though, a catch and shoot three for Miller was always a safe option. His ‘Let It Fly’ motto was in full effect last season, as Miller shot 45.5 percent on catch and shoot threes last season. In the playoffs, when the games really count, that percentage shot up to 48.1%, which was key in Memphis pushing the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games.
In Memphis, Miller’s floor spacing was used to help out the aforementioned Randolph and Gasol. In Cleveland though, Miller’s floor spacing was expected to create driving lanes for James and Irving, with the occasional Love post-up thrown in for good measure. Seeing that it worked like a charm for the Grizzlies last season, the expectation was for Miller to be even more effective on the floor with the Cavs this season, as he was back together with James, one of his closest friends.
Along with the floor spacing, Miller’s shooting was meant to be another important weapon in the Cavalier arsenal heading into the season. I have already mentioned the numbers Miller was putting up with the Grizzlies last season and many people expected those numbers to stay around the same, or even improve, in Cleveland this season. The incredible shooting ability of Miller was meant to play a key role in David Blatt’s offense, one of which Miller described as “borderline genius” as Chris Fedor of the Northeast Ohio Media Group pointed out. Cavalier fans everywhere couldn’t wait to see what Miller could bring to the table, with some experts predicted Miller would win the Cavaliers a playoff game or two.
Now, lets switch out attention to Jones.
In many ways, the expectations for Jones were extremely similar to those of Miller heading into the season. Miller’s shooting numbers from last season actually look average when we place them next to Jones’ numbers with the Heat last season. Jones is a one-dimensional player and that one-dimension is three point shooting and for good reason. In Miami last season, Jones shot an outlandish 51.9% (!!) percent from downtown last season. With that shooting percentage, defenders had no choice but to pay attention to Jones, which of course, created plenty of space for James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh to work in. On catch and shoot attempts, Jones was 52% from beyond the arc, which is simply stunning shooting. Oh, by the way, it’s not like Jones struggled under the bright lights, as he shot 46.9% from downtown and 46.4% on catch and shot three pointers in 17 games in last seasons playoffs.
So, the expectation for Jones heading into this season was strikingly similar to the one of Miller heading into this Wine and Gold season- spread the floor and burn the nets from downtown. While Jones wasn’t going to play the same amount of minutes as Miller because of defensive limitations and the inability to put the ball on the floor, his role heading into the campaign was almost identical to Miller’s.
Dec 5, 2014; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Cleveland Cavaliers forward James Jones (1) celebrates with point guard Kyrie Irving (2) after scoring against the Toronto Raptors at Air Canada Centre. The Cavaliers won 105-91. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Underachieving
For pure shooters such as Miller and Jones and from breaking down last season’s numbers, it is simply shocking how much the duo has struggled for the Cavaliers this season. Lets begin with Miller again.
When talking about the biggest disappointments for the season, Miller has to be at the top of the list. His shooting numbers are down, he looks 50 years old and he has completely fallen out of Blatt’s rotation. Expected to be one of the Cavaliers biggest contributors, Miller has been almost forgotten in the minds of many Cavalier fans.
A main reason for this is the number of Miller’s shots that are clanking off the rim. Miller’s field goal percentage in 38 games played this season is 32.2% (down 15.9% from last season); his three-point field goal percentage is at 32.5% (down 13.4%) from last season and he is averaging 2.4 points per game (down 4.7 points a game from last season.) Miller’s catch and shooting ability was needed in Cleveland this season but so far that hasn’t been the case, as Miller is only hitting an ugly 30.1% of his catch and shoot three’s this season, down 15.4% from last season.
Seeing a great shooter such as Miller struggling so much with his shot is mind-boggling. Fans and experts alike have been left to wonder what the problem with Miller has been and the answer may be his health. Miller hasn’t looked healthy once this season, as it seems like he struggles running up and down the floor. These issues seem to be to do with Miller’s back, which has been a problem for him for years now. The Cavaliers haven’t said anything about Miller’s back this season but watching him struggle from three-point line to three-point line is something that simply cannot be ignored. The only type of official injury Miller has dealt with this season has been a concussion he suffered against the New York Knicks in December but it seems as if the Cavs know something that they aren’t telling us.
These struggles on the offensive end hasn’t created the space for the Cavaliers big three that Miller was expected to create for them heading into the season. Defenders are starting to ignore Miller on the perimeter, as he has lost that special touch from downtown, which has led to him completely falling out of Blatt’s rotation. In the month of February, the Cavaliers have played six games- here is Miller’s minutes in those games- 5, 13 (in garbage time), DNP, DNP, DNP and 5. While the additions of Iman Shumpert and JR Smith have also effected Miller’s playing time, the ineffective play from Miller has left Blatt with no choice but to leave the veteran on the bench.
Despite the struggles Miller has dealt with during the season, one thing he has done is be the ultimate professional. Not once has Miller complained about his limited minutes or made excuses for his poor play. Instead, he is always up on the bench being the Cavaliers biggest cheerleader and is always talking and giving advice to the younger players. The experience that Miller brings is priceless to the young Cavaliers who haven’t tasted the playoffs and this experience is what has kept Cleveland from trading Miller this season.
Likewise to Miller, Jones has had a rough go at it this season on the banks on Lake Erie.
Much like Miller, Jones’ numbers have completely dropped from last season. His three-point shooting percentage is at 32.1% (down 19.8% from last season) and his catch and shoot three point field goal percentage isn’t much better, at 35.2% (down 16.8% from last season.) For a specialist like Jones, there is simply no explanation for the decrease in effective shooting from him this season. His shooting motion looks the same as last season and he is getting good looks but he simply isn’t capitalizing on the opportunities.
Blatt also hasn’t let Jones get away with his poor performances, as he is only giving the 34 year old 9.8 minutes a night, in 31 games played at the break. Jones though, like Miller, has remained a constant professional throughout this whole process though, as his leadership and professionalism has still helped Cleveland in a major way. Jones, while not as much as Miller, is still cheering on the sidelines and one can only imagine how much a veteran like Jones would help in the locker-room. Jones knows this league inside out and the tips he has given the younger Cavaliers this season are invaluable and that experience will only help more come playoff time.
The poor showings from both Miller and Jones have caused the Cavaliers problems so far this season, as the team is now playing an 8-man rotation, something that simply won’t work if the Cavs want to get to the playoffs with energy and healthy. The ineffectiveness of the veteran duo has left Blatt with no choice but to leave them on the bench but could the post All-Star portion of the Cavs schedule offer some hope for the two?
Jan 19, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mike Miller (18) reacts against the Chicago Bulls at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 108-94. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Still Hope
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Regardless of what has happened in the unofficial first half of the season, there is still time for Miller and Jones to turn it around and become effective players for the Cavs this season.
The extended break would have allowed the two to clear their heads and rest up any aches they may be experiencing, especially that back of Miller. We all saw what a two-week lay-off did for James and while I’m not saying that All-Star break will have the same impact on Miller and Jones, it can offer the two hope that this season isn’t dead.
There is a saying in soccer that form is temporary but talent is forever. In the case of Miller and Jones, you could say slumps are temporary but shooting is forever. Simply put, Miller and Jones are too good of shooters to shoot this poorly for the entire season and come the final 27 (and hopefully many more) games this season, expect to see Miller and Jones to rediscover the touch from downtown.
Have Mike Miller and James Jones been disappointments for you this season? Let us know in the comments below!
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