Reason #2 – sickness and a lack of Kevin Love
One of the main reasons the Cavaliers weren’t able to hit timely shots tonight was due to the fact that they didn’t have their best and most proven player due to an illness.
On the topic of illness, Tristan Thompson was also a bit under the weather tonight and was actually questionable for tonight’s contest.
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Thompson had a solid, yet unspectacular night. In 32 minutes of action he hit 5-of-9 shots for 10 points, he corralled 7 rebounds and dished out a team-high five assists. On the defensive end of the floor, Thompson had 3 steals and 2 blocks. All stats per ESPN’s official box score.
Missing Love is a major hit to the lineup and limits the Cavaliers offensively. While Nance has shot the three-pointer very well so far this season (39% per Basketball-Reference), he is still not quite the threat that Love can potentially be from the outside.
Being able to put love in the pick-and-roll and having him read the defense where he either forces a switch and heads down to the low block for a post-up or the defensive big-man hedges the Cavaliers’ ball handler, allowing Love to pop to the three-point line.
Not only does missing Love take one of the team’s best perimeter shooters off of the floor, but it also takes, essentially, their only low-post threat off the floor as well. Neither Nance or Thompson are going to take guys down on the low block and score consistently.