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3 things the Cleveland Cavaliers must do to make the playoffs

By Zane Harris

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton reacts in-game. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton reacts in-game. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers wing Cedi Osman knocks down a three-point shot. (Photo by David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) /

#3: The Cavs need to improve from deep

The first thing that the Cavaliers must improve on if they want to make the playoffs is improving their shooting from deep. The Cavs offense up to this point has looked very reminiscent of one in the ‘90s rather than an offense from this era of basketball.

While it’s true the lineup is very power forward and center-oriented, that does not mean that the Cavs can neglect the three-point shot as they have up to this point in the season. This may be a difficult adjustment for the Cavs to make. Collin Sexton is a high volume player in terms of inside the arc, and Andre Drummond does all of his damage from the interior, and Jarrett Allen, off the bench, is a roller/diver, and those three are key offensive threats.

However, through this stretch of tough games, it is possible that Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff could take the fourth quarter to begin experimenting with offenses that focus on driving and kicking out to three rather than pick-and-rolls at the basket. Trimming down some Drummond post-ups/drives is in that realm, too.

Currently, the Cavs sit at 22nd in the league in three-point shooting with a percentage of 35.6 percentage from beyond the arc. Along with this, the Cavs are dead last in the league in threes attempted a game. This old school and slowed down style of basketball has led the Cavaliers to play at the fourth-slowest pace in the NBA.

This may be improved when Kevin Love is back from a high grade calf strain injury and able to space the floor at the power forward position. But, for the time being, players like Isaac Okoro and Darius Garland must focus on taking more shots from deep, whereas Cedi Osman needs to keep letting them go, and hopefully Dylan Windler can get some more burn, perhaps.

To be fair, though, while the Cavs perimeter shooting hasn’t been emphasized nearly enough to this point, them previously having Garland miss eight games (right shoulder sprain), Sexton out five games (left ankle sprain) and Windler out for an extended period didn’t aid that area, either.

But anyway, it’s evident that we need to see more deep shooting/improvement from downtown, albeit on the plus side, Bickerstaff hitting on how they’ll be looking to generate more threes is a relief.