The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost two of their last three and have proven that if they aren’t connecting from deep, they won’t be able to win.
At least in a couple ways, the retooled Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to mimic the Houston Rockets. For starters, they’ve relied heavily on isolation basketball the last few games. On the season, they’re ranked No. 3 in isolation frequency while in the bottom five in free throw frequency off those drives.
That’s just a little tidbit that might be causing a more superficial issue in Cleveland– their three-point shooting. The Cavs, losers of two of their last three, continue to struggle from behind the arc, and they’re dropping these games because of it.
In the five games that this new team has all been on the court, the Cavs are 3-2. In three of those games, all victories, they shot over 35% from behind the arc. On the flipside, they’ve gone 0-2 in games where they’ve struggled to hit that mark, most recently losing by 16 at home against the Spurs in a game which they shot 8-for-34 from deep. In both their loses, they’ve failed to even reach 25% from deep.
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Although James put up 33 points, 13 assists, and 9 rebounds, the combined 2-for-17 from behind the arc by JR Smith, George Hill, Rodney Hood, Kyle Korver, and John Holland is something to note. In the Cavs other loss, that same group shot 7-for-23, a much more reasonable 30.4%.
However, a group that boasts arguably the best four shooters on the Cleveland Cavaliers, you’d expect a much higher percentage. Just like the Houston Rockets, who have only lost two games this season in which they shot over 40% from deep, this Cavs team needs to start consistently connecting from deep if they have an aspiration of a deep playoff run.
It’s also key to note that this team’s isolation play might be hurting them and their three-point percentages. They’re in the bottom half of the league in scoring frequency off isolation players, while off the spot up, they average the league’s most points per possession at 1.08 and are in the top in scoring frequency.
They play well when they drive and kick it out instead of directly challenging the defense. This Cavs team has the personnel to get to the rim, but as they continue to evolve as a team, playing to each other’s strengths instead of their own will be a huge key to winning games.
What can we take away from that and this article in general?
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The fact that driving to the buckets and dancing around defenders might be fun for a while, but when this team is getting out, spotting up, and getting open looks, they’re not only much more entertaining to watch, but they also see the result that they covet.