Cavs looking to generate more three-point looks is a relief

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had their share of injury issues this season, and Darius Garland and Collin Sexton previously missed an eight-game and five-game stretch due to a right shoulder sprain and a left ankle sprain.

Both have been back for a bit here, though, and while Sexton has at times been banged up regarding that ankle, as he left during Cleveland’s loss at the Minnesota Timberwolves and then returned, those two appear still good to play mostly.

At this point, the Cavs need Garland starting for his playmaking and pick-and-roll feel, too; he had a few games initially when he started back off the bench. And we know how vital Sexton is for Cleveland, and he’s as tough as they come, anyhow.

Regarding other key injuries/prior issues, though, the Cavs have been without Kevin Love, their best catch-and-shoot player, for this season to this point aside from really a game-plus. That’s been because of a high grade calf strain/reaggravation, but it appears that Love is getting closer, per Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, via Chris Manning of Fear The Sword last week.

Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor also stated in a report that we should have a status update on Love from the Cavs to come this week.

Although Love will clearly continually be a subject mentioned in trade rumors, and was recently involving the Brooklyn Nets, albeit that didn’t seem to gain much traction, Love is still a player that will aid Cleveland’s offensive flow/capabilities.

It will take him some time to get it going, when he is back, sure, but that will help. It’s been a positive that Dylan Windler, who previously fractured his left hand in the Cavs’ first game, has been back in the rotation for now-seven games since.

In any case, while the Cavs have had their injury issues this season, the club is getting healthier as of late. Offensively, though, while it’s been largely a struggle overall, in particular, in recent games, with more guys back, and including trade acquisition Taurean Prince, this team needs to get it going more shooting/ball/man movement-wise.

That’s from three-point land, even more so. But these comments from Bickerstaff on Monday, via Evan Dammarell of Forbes and Fear The Sword, were encouraging, and more with Love back, even.

The Cavs looking to generate more three-point looks is a relief.

We know that without Love having been available, and that without Garland for a considerable stretch, and even without Sexton for some time, that the shooting splits and three-point shooting splits wouldn’t be good in a general sense.

Thus far, Cleveland has had the league’s second-worst offensive rating, and they’ve averaged the lowest amount of three-point attempts per game and naturally, are second-last in three-point looks made per game. And Cleveland has ranked 22nd in three-point shooting percentage.

Frankly, though, that sort of thing hasn’t been shocking. But even while I do give him his credit for his interior work and willingness to try to make things happen, of which he’s had some success as a driver and post-up player, the Cavs and Bickerstaff need to lessen the featuring of Drummond some. Drummond was not in Cleveland’s last game, which was the second leg of a back-to-back versus the Minnesota Timberwolves in a close W, due to a lower back reasoning/designation, though.

Drummond seemingly could very well be traded by the league’s March 25 deadline, and despite actual potential buyout rumors to the Nets, which were far-fetched, but you can view those at the aforementioned link regarding Love, his efforts have been meaningful.

He’s had a career-high with 18.5 points per game so far, and is again leading the league in rebounds per contest with 15.1 to this point.

That said, trade rumors or not, the Cavs need less of Drummond pounding it, looking onward, which has led to some untimely offensive fouls, and too many turnovers, and more of the squad looking to generate more catch-and-shoot, and ultimately, three-point looks. Albeit he’s not the only one, turnover-wise.

It seems as though Garland might still be a bit hesitant to let three-point looks fly a bunch off-the-bounce, because of the prior shoulder sprain, but his floater game has been solid. But with Garland, the Cavs need to find ways to get him more catch-and-shoot triple attempts, whether that be letting him play off the ball a bit more to receive ball-swings/some skip feeds.

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Or to me, getting Garland a bit more opportunities in games via relocation leading to open catch-and-shoot three-point looks could be meaningful for the Cavs settled offense.

In the relocation realm, getting Dylan Windler, when he’s in there, for feasibly perhaps around half of games, factoring in the 2/3, a bit more involved via flares/curls and/or pindowns could pay dividends as well.

If that means Isaac Okoro gets his minutes trimmed a bit (he’s playing 35.4 minutes per game, leading the Cavs), that’s understandable, as Windler’s hit 42.1 percent from deep, whereas Okoro’s hit only 29.3 percent and only 21.4 percent in his past seven games.

Granted, I’d still like to see Okoro in there the vast majority of games, so 29-30 or so minutes per game, but either way, I’d like to see Cleveland have any three of their four wings in Okoro, Cedi Osman, Taurean Prince and Windler on the floor together for stretches.

And in relation to how Okoro can help in the catch-and-shoot realm, he has shown he has good feel in the ball movement sense, and he’s more than willing and able to hit kickout feeds, which aids shooters.

Moreover, although he’s filled in admirably in place of Love often, and the Cavs need his defensive playmaking (he leads the league in steals), Larry Nance Jr. might need to play a bit less in the next upcoming slate of games. That’s when Nance is back, though, as he was out on Monday’s game versus the Timbewolves, but in fairness, that was the second leg of a back-to-back.

Well, either that, of which I probably wouldn’t see as realistic, or the Cavs need to get Nance featured more as a playmaker once again, and at least get the ball out of Drummond’s hands more, when he’s active.

Of course, Nance has hit 38.7 percent from three-point range on the year, but with him definitely not 100 percent because of him still seemingly not fully back from a right wrist sprain, obviously, he’s been hesitant on spot-ups, anyhow. That’s apparent.

That’s understandable, but again, if he’s able to playmake a bit more when he is back, as his passing still appears all there, that could help generate more productive ball-swings throughout games again, and in turn, lead to more catch-and-shoot looks. That’s whether that’s via ball/man movement or spot-ups.

What is clear as day, regardless, is that the Cavs need to get it going more from the perimeter and have more willingness from there; Cleveland is last in catch-and-shoot triple attempts per outing, per Second Spectrum. And again, Drummond on-ball stuff needs to be cut back and/or he needs to pass out of double-teams quicker.

Those comments from Bickerstaff at least recognizing the Cavaliers need to generate more three-point looks, looking onward, are a relief, though.

Hopefully the Cavs, just in a general sense, can start getting it going more from three-point range/the catch-and-shoot variety more consistently game-to-game, when Drummond/Nance are involved normally.