Everything you need to know about Andrew Berry: WFNY FAQs
January 27, 2016Good Riddance (but not really) to Blatt, and Kanye-Wiz: While We’re Waiting…
January 28, 2016Phoenix Suns (14-33) 93
Cleveland Cavaliers (32-12) 115
Box Score
The Tyronn Lue Era commenced with an inauspicious start for the Cleveland Cavaliers, with a dud of a performance at home against the Chicago Bulls. While the refrain out of Independence was, “Yeah, yeah, I know things were going pretty well earlier, but NOW things are be newer and better!” it didn’t show against the Bulls. Perhaps the Cavaliers were still recovering from the catatonic state they were jolted into with the sudden, shocking news of now ex-Head Coach David Blatt’s whacking.
Things improved on Monday, with a teaser-trailer win against the Minnesota Timberwolves, with peeks at a fast break offense that could reinvigorate a team and fan base like a tracking shot of the Millenium Falcon did for The Force Awakens — a preview of revived values and a return to form. Nevertheless, Monday’s victory was a heap of dailies, an uneven win that lacked the polish and sheen of a final cut emerging from post-production.
The first half of Wednesday’s game against the Phoenix Suns began much in the same way, before the Cavaliers injected a series of explosive dunks in the second half that would have made Michael Bay blush. The Cavs had the first convincing win of the Tyronn Lue Era on Wednesday, so let us lift the box score high and behold it in all its glory.
92.52 – “Pace” is the word du jour in the NBA, and I’ve heard lots of talk of increased pace for the Cavs with Lue taking the helm. But according to NBA.com’s advanced stats, the Cavaliers played at a pace of 92.52 possessions, which is actually below their 28th slowest average pace of 94.97 possessions. They did play at a rate of 98.96 possessions on Monday, but as I’ll explain, these numbers can be deceptive.
19 to 12.3 – While their measured pace wasn’t even fast enough to get a speeding ticket in a school zone, it felt like the Cavaliers were in hyperdrive all game. The most tangible way this manifested itself was an increase in both fast break points and transition opportunities:1 the Cavaliers scored 19 fastbreak points on Wednesday, well above their average of 12.3 points. This doesn’t seem like a newsworthy increase, but think of it this way: that’s nearly seven “free” points, as fast break points are usually on the run and often uncontested.
More important than the resulting points was the mentality that accompanied them: a concerted effort to push the ball at every opportunity, which took a cumulative toll on the Suns. Though the NBA regrettably does not make data on “transition” possessions available on a per game basis yet, I would guarantee that the Cavaliers were substantially over their 13th-ranked transition frequency of 12.6 percent on Wednesday (probably around 18-22 percent). Unlike some things that are not replicable on a game-by-game basis, the Cavaliers can expect to see more easy fast break buckets with a blood-thirsty approach because they’re the most efficient transition team in the league at 1.20 points per transition possession.
34 – The Cavaliers finished with 34 assists on Wednesday, tying a season high. A lot of that was due to the attack fastbreak mentality mentioned above, which fosters a contagious desire to push and share the ball — which results in better possessions even when the team can’t run and has to execute in the half court.
33 – The Cavs scored 33 points off turnovers on Wednesday, nearly double their season average of 17.2. The Cavs had 20 points off Suns turnovers in the third quarter alone, when they tightened the screws and forced nine turnovers while making the Suns looking like a team without a point guard (probably because they don’t have one — both Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe were sidelined with injuries). During the third, the Cavs increased their lead from five to 16 points. The assist numbers and the points off turnovers were a symptom of the tora! tora! tora! mindset that infected the flow of the game. The Cavs were aggressive on defense because they wanted to force turnovers and DUNKING IS FUN. The end result of more transition opportunities, more turnovers, and more assists is the J.R. Smith to LeBron James dinner-is-served dunk below that will be on every NBA season-capping highlight reel or dunk montage.
https://vine.co/v/iiLt70xlpuY
https://vine.co/v/iilmqY217n3
18, 4 & 4 – Besides giving the world the fantastic highlight above, J.R. Smith had a superb game — scoring 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting (64.6 percent, 4-of-6 of three), with four assists and four steals (tying a season high). He had seven points, three assists, and three steals in the third quarter alone, and the turnovers he forced early in the third lit the match that set off the powder keg that was the Cavs offense. He’s played great basketball for the last month-and-a-half, and not just with his shooting. He also made some little kid act like he had just mainlined eight Mt. Dews when he tossed it off the glass for the James dunk. All hail the Pipe King!
https://vine.co/v/iiLJAEbgTzZ
21 on 8, 9 – LeBron James scored 21 points on eight field goal attempts in three quarters. He added nine assists as well, directing the offense with the care of an auteur. It was the first time in his career James scored more than 20 points on eight field goal attempts. A 20+/on 8/with 9 only happens about once or twice per season, and has only been done by 28 other players since 1984 — a game type reserved for the Steve Nashes, John Stocktons, and Magic Johnsons of the world. It was as effortless a dominating performance as I’ve ever seen — and with nuclear efficiency.
4-of-11 – Kyrie Irving showed some more questionable shot selection on Wednesday, going 4-of-11 on field goal attempts. The most concerning thing is that he seems reluctant to attack the rim. Irving’s now shooting 40.8 percent on the season (a career low), and averaging 3.8 assists (a career low) and 2.8 free throw attempts (a career low). Irving will turn it around at some point … but when?
19 – Suns guard Devin Booker is the youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old, but doesn’t play like it. Booker scored 16 points on 4-of-9 shooting, knocking down jumpers and getting the ball on a few backdoor cuts on J.R. Smith. Booker is starting on an NBA team and wowing folks across the league even though it doesn’t look like he’s hit puberty yet. I won’t go into too much detail about what I was doing when I was 19, but I will say a lot of it involved Natural Light and Mario Kart-related fistfights. Booker’s a bright spot on a Suns team with a dark present; a team that the Cavs should beat by 22 points at home. We’ll have an inkling if the Cavs are actually any better after a tough back-to-back against the Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs on Friday and Saturday.
- “Transition” possessions are not identical to “fastbreak” possessions or points. “Fastbreak” points are early (less than six seconds) into the shot clock. “Transition” possessions are “When the possession-ending event comes before the defense sets following a possession change and a transition from one end of the court to the other.” However, where you find a lot of one, you find a lot of the other. They’re not identical, just very similar. [↩]
9 Comments
All I saw was the second half, and man. Felt great.
Had a flashback though on JR Swish’s throw off the board to james for the slam. Our girls’ HS’ boys team was average enough, with some peaks to go with the valleys. When we played the Cincinnati North College Hill team of OJ Mayo, Bill THomas and Keenan Ellis, they did that kind of stuff to us all game. That particular play is apparently forbidden in HS, as it was waved off (amid the deafening NCH crowd).
If they keep this up then it’s going to be a fun season. Hopefully they can switch back to being a defensive team when it matters in the playoffs. And man that little dude was pumped!
Regarding Kyrie’s hesitancy to attack the rim, I believe he said earlier in the season, before he was actually playing, that he had plans to tailor his game such that he wouldn’t be taking as many hard falls, the theory being that he will save his body and risk less injury.
JR’s reputation with the refs is so bad. So. So. Bad.
Kid needs to get off the court
That kid is how we all start out both as sports fans and in life. So he better enjoy himself now before reality happens.
Meanwhile in Golden State the Warriors played their closest game of the week winning 127-107. Curry just 14 points but brother Klay 45.
I’d say that was his overall reputation in general.
Whatever, love that dude.
Refs hate eem.