Cavs: Are the shooting concerns really as prominent as made out to be?

Coming into this offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a set goal: make win-now moves that would fill needs for the team. Selecting Evan Mobley with the third overall pick and using an expiring deal in Taurean Prince to acquire Ricky Rubio from the Minnesota Timberwolves were steps to accomplish said goals but there seems to be one pressing need that the Cavaliers have yet to address.

Last season, the Cavs were third-worst in three-point attempts per game, second-worst in three-point makes per game, and the worst three-point shooting team in the league at 33.6 percent. These numbers played a part in the Cavaliers having the worst offense in the NBA, averaging just 103.8 points per game.

The previous two seasons, the Cavaliers were respectable from the three-point line as their guard play was a large part of that but, over those two seasons, the team opted to trade certain guards in moves that would help maximize the success of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton.

These specific moves were using Brandon Knight’s contract to acquire Andre Drummond and trading Jordan Clarkson for Dante Exum who was then used to acquire Jarrett Allen. Essentially, the team looked to acquire lob threats that could make for easy dump-offs from the SexLand duo and open up the pick-and-roll offense.

These moves aren’t the only causes of the team’s shooting woes however as injuries, inconsistent roles, and a modest offensive gameplan played a part as well.

Kevin Love, the team’s most consistent shooter, appeared in just 25 of 72 potential games this past season due to a calf injury that is still affecting him as he had to withdraw from the Team USA roster because of it. Dylan Windler, a sharpshooter out of Belmont, has only appeared in 31 total games over his two-year career.

Larry Nance Jr. looked to showcase an improved jump shot but an early-season wrist injury messed with his rhythm. Early and late season injuries to Collin Sexton and Darius Garland also had effects on the team’s consistencies on the offensive side of the ball.

All of these injuries meant certain players had to perform in roles that they weren’t accustomed to and meant for some wonky lineups by Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Players like Cedi Osman and Damyean Dotson were affected the most by these inconsistent roles as both players saw their efficiencies take a drastic dip.

Osman’s dip was the more worrisome of the two as he went from a respectable shooter to a poor one in the 2020-21 season. This resulted in a few DNPs and a ton of trade chatter surrounding him. With the career-lows in field goal and three-point percentage came a career-high in usage rate. Having to do more as a passer and scorer, it looked as if Osman would overthink his decisions at times with the offensive burden set on him.

Now, taking into account that the Cavaliers have addressed their guard situation and seeing as some players will go back to roles that suit their playstyles, are the shooting woes as prominent as seemingly made out to be?

In the NBA, you can never have too many shooters. The Cavs have attempted to add some during free agency but have been unsuccessful due to the asking prices of some.

Now, the Cavaliers can always take a stab at guys who are still available such as Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk or look to acquire a shooter via trade as something is better than nothing.

With that stated, the biggest things to improved shooting from this team are health and a revised offensive gameplan. With health, players like Kevin Love (if he sticks around) and Dylan Windler can carve out successful roles with the team as their shooting is beneficial to open up the offense.

The Cavaliers acquiring Rubio and reportedly being on the search for a third point guard not only improves the facilitation but, provides injury insurance to one of SexLand which in turn allows for players like Osman to continue thriving in an off-ball role, limiting his offensive burden.

The coaching staff could also look to play Dean Wade more as his shooting while both Love and Nance Jr. dealt with injuries was vital to help keep the spacing somewhat intact. Secondly, shooting improvements from both Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen could help as well, though it shouldn’t be expected to be much.

The stated lack of spacing may mean that Evan Mobley would be best suited to come off the bench to start his career as a backup 5 for the team, and looking to play him alongside Allen in spurts with a spacer at the wing positions –Windler, Osman, or a potential offseason acquisition.

Lastly, spacing can come in forms other than shooting such as vertical spacing. With the Cavaliers, having two 7-footers playing together means that the PnR game should be successful. Potential lobs help to pull opposing defenders into the paint as they look to attempt to stop them which can, in turn, result in open looks for others.

All in all, in my opinion, the shooting woes may not be as bad as some make it out to be but, the Cavs should still prioritize adding shooting at the wing positions as it would improve the versatility on the team. Asking players like Windler and still perhaps Love to play a majority of games next season may be a concerning task considering their injury histories but it’s something that the team is going to have to do.

It will also be up to Bickerstaff to improve the offensive game plan, having the young backcourt attempt more threes, having shooters run off screens to get open, and having players in their best positions for success.