Cavs Narratives, fastbreak efficiency and Virtual Reality: While We’re Waiting…
May 9, 2016The best of us: Cameron Erving goes to prom
May 9, 2016I feel sorry for any Cleveland Cavaliers fans who aren’t enjoying this playoff run. It’s in our collective nature to wait for shoes to drop. And we know how they can drop. Even the size 15 Nike shoes that LeBron James wears emblazoned with his initials have been known to drop when he’s also wearing a wine and gold jersey, so I get it. I really do. I can’t make any guarantees about how this story ends, but I can tell you that what’s being written right now is a feel-good triumph on an upward trajectory. It’s not only OK to believe in this team, it’s a bit crazy not to at least let a little light shine through the crack underneath the door.
So, let’s talk about how the Cavaliers are dominating in their first two sweeps to begin the playoffs.
It obviously starts with LeBron. LeBron James is playing 38.8 minutes per game, which is a lot, but it is the second fewest number of minutes that he has played on a per-game basis in his NBA playoff career. It’s also his lowest scoring playoffs — 23.5 points per game — but it’s not like he’s struggling. He’s just playing a different role, organizing, distributing and picking his spots. LeBron has his fourth highest effective field goal percentage of his playoff career. It’s only his sixth highest assist-per-game total at 7.3, but he’s doing it in less than 40 minutes per night showing why we oftentimes choose to use ratios and efficiency metrics as opposed to per-game box score items. This is a different LeBron James than the one who was asked to carry the Cavaliers, and he seems to be embracing it both physically and mentally.
Part of LeBron’s playoff story is allowing Kyrie Irving to lead at times. Whether it’s putting the ball in Kyrie’s hands to make a big shot to preserve a lead, or so he can stand at the foul line with the game in doubt, Kyrie Irving has stepped out into his own. He bombs from three, he makes heroic baskets on drives to the hole, and he’s largely stayed away from the hero ball, finding teammates when he draws defensive attention. Kyrie played in just 13 playoff games the prior season due to injury, but he was averaging just 3.8 assists per game. A year later, in the first eight games, Kyrie’s averaged 5.5 assists. This is evolution for Kyrie.
[Also see: A Sweep for Mom – The Cleveland Cavaliers Sweep the Hawks on Mother’s Day]
I’ll group Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson together here because of their collective rebounding. Obviously Kevin Love has also contributed offensively at times. The story for Love to me is not about that, but more about when he’s struggled and how he’s battled through to find ways to contribute just the same. As people piss on his virtual grave on Twitter, Love’s in there grabbing rebounds, throwing full-court passes and continuing to shoot open shots with confidence. And all of a sudden, even after cold starts and frustrating offense inside the paint, Love will hit two or three shots in a row and become his own Cavs offensive run.
Tristan Thompson is also finding his spots and doing all the things that he needs to do to be a difference-maker for the Cavaliers in the playoffs. He’s averaging five offensive rebounds per game. Defensive rebounds are one thing, but offensive rebounds are gut-punches to the other team. When you’re surrounded by offensive talent the way Tristan Thompson is this year, it’s unbelievably invaluable to a team controlling their opponent.
Lastly, that brings us to “the other guys.” A year ago when the Cavs were too banged up, they had to rely on J.R. Smith and Matthew Dellavedova as centerpieces in the NBA Finals. It proved to be an impossible task, but this year as long as the Cavaliers are healthy, those guys can step in and step up on a more occasional basis. It’s this kind of setup that allows Channing Frye to win you a game as he did Game 3 going off for 27, including 7-of-9 from three. Smith has been pretty inconsistent, but between his Game 1 defense on Kyle Korver setting the tone, and his occasional outbursts, he’s the occasional difference-maker the Cavs need. J.R. has scored double-digits four times in these playoffs including a game of 21, and 23 points.
Even the guys who we haven’t talked much about are making a real difference this year. Delly disappeared against Atlanta, but he had some key moments against Detroit and if the situation calls for him again, it wouldn’t be crazy to envision him having a big game. Iman Shumpert hasn’t had an excellent year or playoffs, but in Game 4 against Atlanta, he was great playing defense and hitting two of his four three-point attempts at a time the Cavs needed it most heading into the half. I’ll stop short of speaking about Mozgov or Richard Jefferson’s Snapchat game, but with this Cavs team anything is possible and they’re more equipped than any team we’ve seen, maybe in Cleveland sports history. This isn’t the Shawn Marion and Mike Miller bench of a year ago, that’s for sure.
None of this is a guarantee. It’s not overconfidence. It’s a proclamation that I refuse to allow my born and bred Cleveland sports paranoia to ruin this while it’s happening. The Cleveland Cavaliers have eight more games to win before we get to start celebrating, but each win along the way is worthy evidence that this team is capable of doing it. Each win along the way, especially provided how they’re playing team ball and staying away from the hero stuff indicates that maybe they’ve got the right team chemistry, including with coach Ty Lue, to raise the trophy at the end.
I understand the defense mechanism of doubt, but I also think I understand the power of belief and confidence. I believe this Cavaliers can win. I’m confident they’ve got enough of the right pieces to do it, and I’m dead set on enjoying this playoff run, win or lose.
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In case you missed it, Scott Raab came back to the WFNY Podcast to discuss ESPN’s 30 for 30, Believeland.
11 Comments
Yep. Waiting, waiting…
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Oh, life is like that. Sometimes at the height of our reveries, when our joy is at its zenith, when all is most right with the world, the most unthinkable disasters descend upon us.
If we let our tortured souls lapse into a moment of lucidity and pretend we’re the coach of an upcoming opponent, we can see that right now the Cavs are a match up nightmare, for anyone.
A few guys can play well below their norm and this team is still a tough out. A whole lot of things meshing right now at best possible time, while the other teams are getting dinged up in major ways. Unless the injury hammer falls again almost impossible for me to imagine how worst case scenario for this team is 6 games into the Finals. Very worst case. Not that I’d know, but maybe this is what the ramp up to a trophy looks like.
[ok, why does the guy replace the cover?]
That guy represents the Four Letter, verifying that we are indeed gone.
I can’t stop looking at this. So many questions. Is that dude okay? Did he lose an arm? Die? Why was that door open? Why did that other dude close it? Because he saw the first dude was dead and just wanted to expedite burial? Are those guys twins?
I love how the guy in back freaks out and then just casually shuts the door.
Gawker is on it….
http://gizmodo.com/5938380/man-walking-and-watching-tv-at-the-same-time-falls-through-a-hole
Questions answered, yet I feel strangely less at ease.
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