Cavs Vs. Pacers: 4 Things We Learned

The LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers did not look like the same team that beat Milwaukee on Tuesday night.

The Cavs couldn’t stop the Pacers’ offense on Wednesday night which led to a lopsided 123 to 109 loss.

While it is disappointing to see the Cavs play so poorly after dominating the night before, you can’t put too much stock in it. Cleveland is not the same team when LeBron James isn’t on the floor. You don’t want your team to be so dependent on one player, but that’s just how it is. There’s a reason the Cavs and Heat went from being championship contenders to not being in the playoffs the year after LeBron left.

Added on to that, Kevin Love missed most of the second half with back spasms and this is the second game of a back to back on the road.

With that in mind, here’s what we learned from this one.

1. J.R. Smith struggles when his role is altered.

Smith did not look like the same player he was against Milwaukee. On Tuesday Smith was 7 for 11 on 3’s. However, against Indiana he didn’t make a single three on only one attempt.

Smith more than anyone else struggles when LeBron isn’t out there. That’s nothing new. I personally don’t believe it’s a serious cause for concern, however it is something to be mindful of heading into the playoffs.

2. The defense wasn’t there on back to back nights.

The Cavs didn’t have an answer for the Pacer’s offense. Indiana scored 123 points on 56% shooting from the field. It is certainly concerning when the defense plays that bad.

Paul George and C.J. Miles had monster games and combined for 50 points. LeBron would have covered both of those guys at different points in the game. I don’t imagine them put up that many points with James out there. However, not having James doesn’t mean that allowing your opponent to shoot 56% from the field is acceptable.

We’ve seen the Cavs’ defense look amazing at times and we’ve seen them look awful like they did in Indiana. The fact that the defense seemingly takes nights off like they did in Indiana is worrisome. Especially since the defense has been inconsistent for the majority of the year. You can’t win in the playoffs without playing good defense.

3. Kevin Love is continuing his impressive play.

Love is always going to be over-scrutinized on this team the way Chris Bosh was with LeBron in Miami. It isn’t fair, but that’s just the way it is. That being said, Love has looked great the last couple games.

Love had 23 points in just over 18 minutes played. He missed most of the second half with back spasms, but he later returned in the fourth quarter.

What was really impressive about Love’s night was his ability to get to the foul line. He was able to get to the line 10 times and converted on all of his free throws. Love is at his best when he is aggressive in the paint and getting his shot. This offense can be great when he is playing aggressive like he was against Indiana.

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4. Hopefully Kyrie Irving is out of his slump.

Kyrie hasn’t looked like himself the last couple games. He appeared to find his rhythm in Indiana even in a losing effort. Irving finished with 26 points on 11 of 17 shooting and was responsible for 6 assists. He was also able to add 3 steals.

It’s important for each member of the Big 3 to be at the top of their game heading into the playoffs. LeBron has elevated his game to another level the last few weeks, Love has looked better in recent games, and Kyrie is hopefully out of his slump. The Cavs are nearly unbeatable when all 3 are on the top of their game.

The Cavaliers will look to get back on track when they travel to Chicago to face the Bulls on Saturday.

What did you learn from last night’s Cavs loss?