The Cleveland Cavaliers have been rocking with their three-big starting lineup featuring Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, and while unconventional/wonky at times, it has worked pretty well.
Sure, the likes of Darius Garland, Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen need to shooter better from three-point range, as do some others for Cleveland, such as Kevin Love when he’s back from COVID-19 health and safety protocols.
With Markkanen, as an aside, he was recently placed in health and safety protocols as well, as the Cavaliers announced on Wednesday, but on the plus side, the team is fully vaccinated, per a report from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, so hopefully there is not a domino effect. We will see. KJG’s Justin Brownlow was right for noting the inefficiencies from three, at any rate.
Nonetheless, the Cavaliers have generally been generating good looks for themselves, and while it’s early, the club is fourth in the league in assist rate. One would just hope that the open looks they can get from three-point range do start falling more, and I do believe they will as the group continues to get more comfortable.
On a positive note, though, the Cavs had a pretty nice result on their recent five-game road trip, as the Wine and Gold came out 3-2, which was probably better than most would’ve anticipated. But it is early season, and the Denver Nuggets didn’t have Jamal Murray, and the LA Clippers are still without Kawhi Leonard, objectively.
Make no mistake, the Cavaliers and their defense deserve credit for their efforts.
That said, one thing is somewhat concerning regarding the Cavs/their defense: the defensive glass. Cleveland has the second-lowest defensive rebounding percentage in the NBA at this juncture, although thus far, the Cavaliers are conceding what’s been essentially in the middle of the pack when it comes to opponent second chance points.
The Cavaliers need to be more effective as closing out defensive possessions, either way.
Cavs: Defensive rebounding needs to be cleaned up, and it can be.
The offensive rebounding for opponents has been an issue that has lingered, and part of that has stemmed from guys getting beat on-ball, and Cleveland needing to help.
Admittedly, that is going to happen, that’s just how it is.
But with the Cavs’ length with guys such as Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and Markkanen, when he’s back, to go with solid defenders such as Dean Wade and at times Lamar Stevens, that can help perimeter guys.
Cleveland has done a pretty respectable job at rotating to contest shooters in key spots when spray-outs off drives have come, though, and with Allen/Mobley, the contests at the rim have not things easy in the paint for drivers.
Markkanen at times on the weak side has altered looks, too, and his team defense has given the Cavs a lift when spray-outs have happened, and the same goes for the backcourt guys, to some degree. Hopefully Markkanen’s not in COVID-19 protocols for too much an extended period.
To the aforementioned defensive rebounding issue, however, the Cavaliers do need to clean that area up after rotations, which is some of the reasoning for their ineffectiveness there.
Some of it, though, has seemingly been that the bigs, particularly Allen and Markkanen, are not boxing out nearly as well as they should be when they could have good enough position to clean the glass. That’s not on the backcourt guys/wings if they are contesting and the initial defense has been competent on-ball.
Now, the perimeter guys have been at least trying to help out more in recent games, and with Kevin Love, for example, out for seemingly at least a few more games, that will be a way to help out rotators. Isaac Okoro, when he comes back from a left hamstring strain, can aid Cleveland some on the defensive glass, too.
And at least to me, some of the spotty defensive rebounding possession-to-possession could be related to some of the Cavs new-look squad, to some degree, not having a ton of experience playing together just yet.
Love, from a rotational standpoint, coming back will help, sure, but more generally, with guys such as the three-big lineup that’s been starting getting more in-tune with each other game-to-game, the defensive rebounding positioning/box outs should improve.
We’ll have to see; I do believe this issue is fixable with more time together, though. Doing so would help Cleveland get some more transition opportunities, to go with their forcing of turnovers, also.