The Cleveland Cavaliers have an array of effective lineups, but when Jeff Green is hitting from deep, only one is absolutely unstoppable on offense and not a liability on defense.
In Game 2, Jeff Green shot 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-6 from downtown. He’s now 9-for-12 in the Cleveland Cavaliers first two games against the Toronto Raptors, including 5-for-7 from deep. The 31-year-old that signed for veteran’s minimum contract this summer has proven to be the difference maker so far this series.
Throughout his career, Jeff Green hasn’t been known as a knockdown shooter. For that reason along with his continued inconsistency, defenses choose to leave him open when doubling down to help the defender who is tasked to guard LeBron.
You can’t blame coaches for playing that strategy against Cleveland though. They really have no other choice. Green has shot just 31.2% from deep this season.
That said, it’s a much more logical strategy than letting Kyle Korver (43.6%), JR Smith. (37.5%), Kevin Love (41.5%) or LeBron James (36.7%) get an open attempt. So, unless Toronto wants James to continue to have his will be done on offense, you must get the ball out of his hands.
Down the stretch in the Cavs 18-point Game 2 victory, the lineup consisting of LeBron James, JR Smith, Jeff Green, Kevin Love, and Kyle Korver played a third of the fourth-quarter minutes. In that time, the unit posted a +120 net rating which ultimately led to a +7 point quarter in which Cleveland imposed their every will on Toronto.
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Toronto looked lost trying to guard this lineup. James was hitting fade away after fade away and they had no answer. Green’s success meant they couldn’t double him. The lineup truly proved to be unguardable.
There are a few things that make a lineup like this so unguardable. For starters, LeBron James, the catalyst for the Cavaliers success, has the free will to attack from any position on the court. Unless James draws an extra defender, he will finish, fade, or shoot over just about any player in the league. If the defender is drawn, he can kick out to a shooter since James has the vision of a top-tier point guard.
However, you might be thinking: there are shooters on the Cavs bench better than Green, why play him? Why is he the key?
It’s all about the other side of the ball.
Green and the Cavs are unguardable when they play this five-man lineup offensively, but basketball isn’t just about how well you can play offense. Jeff Green, defensively, gives the Cavs a powerful 6-foot-9 frame that is capable of rebounding, switching on screens, and guarding small, quicker guards.
The difference maker between Green and another sharpshooting Cavalier is Green’s formidable defense. Offensively, the difference between Green and another Cavalier big is his ability to step outside the arc and knock down triples.
Green, just like JR Smith and Tristan Thompson, wasn’t suppose to get big minutes coming into this postseason. Along with select other playmakers, Green has earned the trust of Lue, and now, it’s obvious that Green brings several intangibles to the team. Green’s size and speed are a plus, but this team turns into a different monster when he’s connecting from deep.
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If this sharpshooting continues, you can pencil in Cleveland for their fourth straight Finals.