3 keys to success for Cavs in their #7-8 play in-game versus Nets

#2: Limiting second chance production

The Nets are such a talented offensive club, as evidenced by them having the league’s seventh-best offensive rating in post-All-Star play at 117.9, and that being even better in the last 15 games.

Even with the attention Durant and Irving will draw throughout games, it’s inevitable that they’ll produce and Cleveland has to mix things up involving its approach with them. Now, the Cavs have to change things up, and they don’t just want to let those guys have tons of single coverage, and they’ll still try to deter both from driving and getting to in-rhythm pull-ups.

The Wine and Gold has to be timely with their rotations to shooters such as Seth Curry and Patty Mills, though, and the communication needs to be better than it was in the fourth quarter on Friday, when Brooklyn pulled away.

All of that being said, another key element for the Cavs to have success here and pull off an upset is them limiting second chance opportunities/production for the Nets. Brooklyn had 13 offensive rebounds in Friday’s matchup, which led to 25 second chance points in the contest.

It’s obviously less than ideal that the Cavaliers will not have Jarrett Allen, which is not a surprise, with that reportedly likely to be their predicament before, but to me, they can still find ways to help one another out if they crash the defensive glass and it being a point of emphasis that they limit second chance points. Andre Drummond had 15 points and 12 rebounds on Friday, with most of his points coming via putbacks after offensive rebounds, of which he had five in 24 minutes.

I get that there’s inherently going to be some second chance production, but if the Cavaliers concede 25 second chance points again, or near that, they’re probably not going to have a great chance to win. They can’t give up four offensive boards to Bruce Brown, either, to that point.

I understand Allen is not playing, but if they help helpers more consistently when rotators come to drivers, such as Mobley and Lamar Stevens at times, that could go a long way for their chances in this one. I don’t foresee that as being unreasonable, and I’m not exactly sure how much Drummond or Nic Claxton will play here.

Anyway, even with Cleveland’s defensive rebounding inconsistencies on the season, they still haven’t been necessarily drilled with second chance points. For most of the year, they’ve conceded among the least amount of second chance points on average, and their multiple efforts have often been there.

Granted, there’s not much of a disparity between the league’s best and worst in that as other stats, but in games like this one and others of late, these details make a big difference. Hopefully that’s something the Cavs coaching staff has relayed.