Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyle Korver will soon be kicked from the rotation
The stats speak for themselves. This time, they tell us that Kyle Korver might soon find himself as just a locker room presence for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Following a season-high 30 points against the Atlanta Hawks just three games ago, Kyle Korver has seemingly slid his way right out of the rotation.
Korver has played at least 10 minutes in all but two of Cleveland’s 56 games this season. That’s going to quickly start changing. Korver has played a total of 23 minutes and 52 seconds in the Cavs last two games, his lowest back-to-back minutes total this season.
Does Korver losing these minutes come as a shock though?
The Cavs brought in three 25-year-olds who all come off the bench alongside Korver. Players like Clarkson and Hood, two of the four additions, have been playing lights out, both shooting over 50% from the field.
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Their success has inevitable booted 36-year-old shooting guard from the rotation. That also means that in two seasons when Korver is 38 making $6 million the Cavs offseason antics could again hurt their chances in the Finals, assuming they can retain their title as the East’s best team for a few more seasons.
However, Korver isn’t completely useless. Korver is a specialty player. He’s one of the most accurate three-point shooters in the NBA and will continue to be an option off the bench for Lue. The days of Korver lighting up the opponent off the bench might almost be over, but they certainly will be few and far between.
His waning role will almost be nonexistent and the only way for Korver to get even remotely meaningful minutes will be to excel in every opportunity he is given. Korver will never be the best player, and at this point in his career, he’ll never be the playmaker some once wished he could be.
While Korver is still bound to get run in the regular season, it’s almost inevitable that he’ll be cut from the rotation come May and June. Korver, after being traded to the Cavaliers from his long-time home with the Hawks, made an immediate impact and then saw his role dwindle come playoff time.
Expect the same treatment this time around.
Korver went from around 24 minutes per game to 18.1. I expect this season to be even more extreme. Korver could hover around 12-15 for the remainder of the season due to the fresh legs the Cavs brought in.
These youngsters are hungry for meaningful minutes on a quality team, and while that’s exactly what the team and fanbase craved, it hurts Korver’s value immensely. That said, at least Korver is still on the Cavs. Other veterans like Dwyane Wade, Channing Frye, and Richard Jefferson were all traded prior to the trade deadline.
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To recap, Korver’s role has already to started to decrease and by playoff time we may hardly remember that he’s on the team.