Cavs vs. Nets: 3 Things We Learned

The Cleveland Cavaliers once again played down to the level of an opponent, losing 95-104 to the lowly Brooklyn Nets.

Keeping with this season’s theme, the Cavs followed two promising performances with an absolutely flat one. Generally, the Cavs’ losses to poorer teams have come due to isolation ball and minimal defense. However, this loss can largely be attributed to the Cavs’ poor shooting. Other than LeBron James, who shot an otherworldly 13-for-16, the Cavs were listless. Good teams are generally able to withstand poor shooting nights with good defense, but this was not the case for the Cavaliers. Brooklyn’s guards, namely Shane Larkin, were able to penetrate without much resistance from Cleveland’s defense.

Here’s three things we learned from the disappointing loss:

1. The Cavs die by the jumpshot

Under Tyronn Lue, the Cavalier offense has become largely dependant on the outside shot. This is not necessarily a bad thing, as the league is trending this way. However, on a night like this, where nothing is falling, it can be a problem. One of the reasons why the Cavaliers have been hot and cold this season is due to their streaky shooting. The Cavaliers’ roster is littered with streaky long-range shooters, and when those shooters are hitting their threes, the Cavs tend to win in blowouts. However, the flip side of it is games like Brooklyn. Tonight, Cleveland shot just 10-for-38 on its long-range shots, giving it a paltry 3-point percentage of 26.3%. Generally when teams’ three-point shots aren’t falling, they shift their focus to the paint. However, several players settled for three-point shots instead of attacking the paint. As a result, the Cavaliers were beaten in paint points 60-46 and shot just nine free-throws for the entire game. Comparatively, the Nets were able to get into the paint all night and shot 19 free-throws. Despite their poor shooting, the Cavs were in the game in the fourth quarter. However, they were only able to hit just four of their 27 shots in an abysmal 12-point fourth quarter and the Nets were able to pull away.

2. Well beaten in every department

Often when a team loses to a weaker opponent, you can say that the weaker opponent lucked out. However, today the Cavaliers were bettered by the Brooklyn Nets in every single department. The Nets shot better from the field (46.1% v 43.8%) and the three-point line (36.4% v 26.3%), they were able to out-rebound the Cavaliers 55 to 50. While the Cavaliers’ ball movement wasn’t necessarily a problem, their 22 assists was also bettered by the Nets’ figure of 28. The Nets also had more steals, blocks, fast-break points and paint points. The one area where the Cavs were able to beat the Nets was in the turnover department, having 14 turnovers to the Nets’ 8. This wasn’t a case of the Nets getting lucky late, the Cavaliers were well and truly outplayed, and this close to the post-season that should be of great concern to the Cavaliers.

3. Kevin Love‘s struggles continue

After a good game against the Bucks, the Cavs’ power forward struggled once again. Despite finishing with a double-double of 11 points and 12 rebounds, Love’s shot was again nowhere to be found as he bricked several wide-open shots. Love was able to make just five of his 14 field goals, and missed all five of his three-point shots.

Heading into the post-season, Love’s poor form has to be a concern for the Cavaliers. While he was widely criticised for having a poor season last year, Love actually shot the ball very well in the latter half of the season, shooting over 40% from three after the All-Star break. However, this year his numbers have declined further following the mid-season showcase. Prior to the All-Star game, Love wasn’t really having a stellar season from the field, shooting just 41.7%. However, his three-point percentage of 36.8% was impressive given his role in the Cavs offense. Following the All-Star game, Love has shot a paltry 40.4% from the field and has made just 25.5% of his three-point shots. Given the fact that Love has 5.1 out of his 12.2 shots per game following the All-Star break, this percentage is incredibly poor.

Pretty much everyone from the coaches to LeBron James have been blamed for Love’s poor form in Cleveland so far. However, the onus has to fall on Love to make some of these open looks that he is getting. According to NBA.com, 15.1% of Love’s three-point shots have been classified as ‘open’, with the closest defender 4-6 feet away, and Love has shot just 27.9% on these shots. Overall on ‘open’ shots, Love has shot 39%. In Love’s final season on the Timberwolves, he made 42.1% of his ‘open’ shots. This disparity becomes larger on ‘wide open’ shots, which are with the closest defender over six feet away. Love has shot just 39.8% on wide open shots, a far cry from his final season in Minnesota where he made 45.7% of his wide open shots.

More from King James Gospel

It is true that the Cavaliers haven’t put him in his best positions often enough, sticking him out in the corner to dry. However, Love is on a maximum salary and at some point a max player has to be expected to knock down open shots and Love’s ability to do so has been one of the most frustrating things on a team that is maddening as a whole.

Next up, the Cavs head to Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Knicks and LeBron’s buddy Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks have been pretty poor under new coach, Kurt Rambis, but are coming off two impressive wins over the Chicago Bulls.

Chances are the Cavs bounce back and blow the Knicks out. However, there’s an equally high chance of the Cavs coming out flat and laying another egg. Such is the case with the 2015-16 Cavaliers.