Head coach Kenny Atkinson made a cornucopia of poor decisions down the stretch of the Cleveland Cavaliers' Game 1 collapse. One of them was going away from Dean Wade.
That may seem like a tiny thing in the face of the worst quarter of basketball in Cavaliers playoff history. What about James Harden getting roasted defensively? Not calling a single timeout to settle the troops? Going away from the offensive attack that built the 22 point lead?
Dean Wade needed to play
Yet at the center of all of it was Dean Wade, who started the game but who was largely absent during the meltdown. Atkinson subbed him out to get a more offensively-minded lineup on the court, playing Sam Merrill or Max Strus. It was a colossal mistake.
Not that Merrill is not an excellent player, and his defense is underrated. Yet what the Cavaliers have in their arsenal is the perfect Jalen Brunson stopper -- and they decided not to use him during the most crucial moments of the game.
Wade was brilliant on Brunson
In Game 1, Wade defended Jalen Brunson for 24 possessions -- and Brunson was helpless. He scored a single basket on just two attempts and did not record an assist; he was, in other words, smothered by the length of Wade.
This was something former Cleveland reporter Brian Windhorst predicted ahead of Game 1, and he was largely laughed at by everyone but Cavs fans -- and honestly, some of them as well.
This was hardly a fluke, either. In the regular season this past year, Brunson managed just 9.5 points per 75, a mere third of his regular-season average of 27.6 points per 75. His assists also went down. And whereas Brunson posted a 58.3 percent true shooting percentage this year in all situations, when he faced Wade, that plummeted to 24.4 percent.
Wade is the Brunson stopper, full stop. So why would Atkinson go away from him down the stretch as Brunson shredded the Cleveland defense?
Atkinson made colossal mistakes
There are two reasons. The first is that while Wade is a massive boost to the Cavaliers' defense, he also lowers their offensive ceiling. He is a fine spot-up shooter who does nothing else on offense. The movement shooting of Merrill and Strus or the creation of Dennis Schroder are sometimes more alluring.
The other reason is that the Cavaliers were giving up switches anytime the Knicks requested them. This "soft switching" approach meant that Brunson could call up a screen for the player James Harden was defending, Wade would switch off of him, and Brunson would roast him.
There is no need to have Wade on the court if he is defending Mikal Bridges; his value is in locking down stars. Atkinson decided not to change his defensive approach and instead to sub out Wade. Even without the gift of hindsight, this was a massive mistake -- and Brunson and the Knicks took full advantage.
Put Wade back in!
It is an obvious adjustment for Atkinson heading into Game 2. Wade's minutes need to increase and match Brunson as much as possible. He is one of the players in the league best equipped to lock down the star guard. His length and strength combine to flummox Brunson at every turn.
The Cavaliers need to force the Knicks to fight for a switch and not give it away for nothing. They need to be more willing to go away from James Harden no matter his offensive value. And they need to play Dean Wade.
He has proven himself to be the Jalen Brunson stopper. After Game 1, that is exactly what the doctor ordered.
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