Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 positive takeaways from Game 1 blowout

Even in a blowout, the Cleveland Cavaliers have reason to believe that Game 2 will go better for them in Game 1.

The Cleveland Cavaliers got smacked in the mouth in Game 1, there’s no way around it.

However, there were certainly some positives to take away from the game.

Though it was a blowout, the game got out-of-hand quickly as the Cavaliers found themselves unable to buy a shot.

Their misfortune would continue throughout the first half, as they went 0-12 from three-point range. James would go 3-8 in the first half, playing passively as he tried to “feel out” the Celtics and their gameplan. Yes, their defense was physical and their approach to clogging the paint forced James into becoming a jump shooter.

However, basketball — particularly in a seven-game series — is a lot like a game of chess. James’ ability to counter what he sees from opposing team’s is a hallmark of his game, as his basketball IQ is not just off-the-charts but one of the best in NBA history.

LeBron: "For me, Game 1 has always been a feel out game for me, if you follow my history. I got a good sense of how they played me today and how they’re going to play me for Game 2."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 13, 2018

James will find a way to manipulate the defense with movement, find spacing with the continued trust in his teammates and softening the teeth of the defense by forcing the issue in the paint.

James’ approach to Game 1 and the positives that followed may have contributed to why he feels “zero concern at this stage“, despite the game ending with such a lopsided score.

The third quarter

The Cleveland Cavaliers actually managed to outscore the Boston Celtics 48-47 in the second half. Their third quarter in particular was their best, as it was their lone quarter where they outscored the Celtics (29-17). They would find success behind-the-line, hitting three three-pointers, including their first of the game.

They would also find success by running a less random offense, finding mismatches and trying to post Kevin Love (who hit two three-point attempts in the quarter as well) up against smaller players.

Making their shots, running more set plays and continuing to post-up Love (and James) against smaller players should form more of the team’s offensive diet in Game 2.

The law of averages

The Cleveland Cavaliers shot 4-26 from three-point range in Game 1, with Love, LeBron James, Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith a combined 2-17 from three-point range in that time.

That’s unlikely to continue, as many of their shots were of the “open” variety and each of the aforementioned players shot above 36.0 percent from three-point range in the regular season.

LeBron: "Three-point shots is a part of our DNA, what makes us the best team that we can be. I thought early, even with the shots that we had, we missed some wide open threes that just didn’t go."
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) May 13, 2018

To continue, James shot 5-16 from the field in Game 1.

He’s been one of the most efficient players throughout the postseason, shooting 55.3 percent from the field prior to Game 1; efficiency is a hallmark of his game. It’s not just because he takes a lot of shots close to the rim (40.3 percent of his shots have come 0-3 feet away from the rim this postseason) — though the Cavs would do well to get James closer to the rim in Game 2.

It’s really because he’s that talented. He’s ambidextrous, has a soft touch around the rim, can finish through contact like few others and has worked hard over his 15-year career to become a reliable outside shooter.

Hood, Clarkson finding scoring rhythm

Rodney Hood and Jordan Clarkson have failed to perform up to expectations in these playoffs, to say the least. However, in Game 1, Hood (5-12 from the field) and Clarkson (4-11 from the field), finally started to see the ball go through the hoop.

Hood would get most of his points in garbage time but was aggressive throughout, a rare sight.

Hood needs to improve his motor on the defensive end and Clarkson’s tunnel vision was out of hand in Game 1, so there is certainly still room for improvement. Nonetheless, progress is a process.

If the Cavaliers are going to win it all, they’ll need every player to play as well as they’re capable of.

The second unit’s struggles were one of the big reasons the Cavaliers lost in the 2017 NBA Finals and the success of Hood, Clarkson, Jeff Green and Tristan Thompson is paramount; a game can get out-of-hand for either team in just the span of a few minutes because of the play of their bench units.

*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com