King James Gospel
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Cleveland Cavaliers: Lessons from a 17-point comeback vs Washington

By Jackson Flickinger

CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 5: LeBron James
CLEVELAND, OH - APRIL 5: LeBron James /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 9: Jeff Green #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes up for a dunk against the LA Clippers on March 9, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 9: Jeff Green #32 of the Cleveland Cavaliers goes up for a dunk against the LA Clippers on March 9, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Lesson No. 1: Jeff Green is going to stay in the starting lineup.

Coach Lue announced today that Green will be in the starting lineup for the rest of the season and the playoffs. Green rewarded Lue’s confidence in him by putting up 21 points on eight of ten shooting in the win Thursday night.

Many people are questioning whether Green deserves to start. The biggest arguments against him starting is that he doesn’t have a reliable three-point shot and he takes time away from Larry Nance Jr. While both are true, it’s undeniable that the Cavs have played some of their best basketball this season with Green on the floor.

Cleveland is now 8-3 with Green as a starter and are a better team when he’s on the floor compared to when he’s off. The Cavs outscore opponents by 4.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

That doesn’t seem crazy, but the impact he has on LeBron is undeniable. The Cavs are outscoring opponents by 7.4 points per 100 possessions when both James and Green are on the floor. When Green isn’t on the floor but still LeBron is teams are outscoring the Cavs by 2.2 points per 100 possessions.

Besides what the numbers say, the Cavaliers are a more versatile defensive team when Green is on the floor. Green has the ability to guard players like John Wall and DeMar DeRozan while still being effective offensively.

Green has made the most of his opportunities so far this season. We’ll see how he does given the permanent starting position.