David Blatt is a former NBA coach

[Cayman13]

I've said it before - Andy is a pf and continues to play like one. While I'm happy to see him getting open looks and finishing on the P&R, it is completely shutting Love out of the offense. TT is terrible, but he needs to start at center. Andy is not going to change his game, so let him do what he does with the second team.

Nate, I agree with you. However.....we take Andy out, we basically have zero defense. Right? Not saying he's great, but.....at least he plays tough. There are too many holes to plug with this team.

 

[TheISHT]

I think Blatt should put this out as the rotation.

Pg KI
Sg Miller
Sf Lebron
PF LOVE
C TT

The ball should run through Love and KI. LeBron needs to take the best scorer. He needs to lay back and make Love and Irving facilitate. Miller would provide spacing while TT would provide rebounding.

Second unit
Delly, Dion, Harris, Marion, AV

In this unit offense should be ran through Dion and AV.

 

[NasstyNate]

Nate, I agree with you. However.....we take Andy out, we basically have zero defense. Right? Not saying he's great, but.....at least he plays tough. There are too many holes to plug with this team.

You hit the issue. We are fundamentally flawed inside with our personnel. We don't have a single interior defender on the team outside of Haywood. Until we get one, we need to outscore teams the best we can, and Andy + Dion is a really good second unit to keep a sustained offensive attack.

 

[Matches]

I think the question is, does the offense look good when the team is executing? Does the defense look good when they are giving effort and executing?

The answer to the first question is yes, and I have seen flashes/evidence of the second. So to me this is on the players. They are not playing together and are just breaking off play's like my team did in fourth grade. We didn't win shit and neither will this one till they wise up.

In my little fantasy world every Cavs player is at home singing along to this song like in Magnolia:

 

[Zen]

Rewatching the game on league pass.

Our most identifiable issue is still the lack of spacing.

You found our spacing to be a more identifiable issue than the fact that we are small, have no rim protector, have no bench contribution, and are learning a new system with 10 new players?

 

[TyGuy]

You found our spacing to be a more identifiable issue than the fact that we are small, have no rim protector, have no bench contribution, and are learning a new system with 10 new players?

You are totally right, but our shooting has been really bad. I think we were 3-16 yesterday and 6 for 20 something the game before; that just isn't going to cut the mustard. This team is getting plenty of good looks from three and just aren't knocking them down. That needs to change; especially when we have other issues that you mentioned compounding the problem.

 

[LeShaq]

I liked Blatt's confidence after the Toronto loss. That was good to see. No panic, no nervousness. We need that right now.

 

[MaccabiCavs]

True, but Miami won 96-70, 101-78, 129-97, 101-89 and 123-96 during that 9-8 stretch. They showed signs of dominating. We have shown literately nothing like that.

Did you not see the blow out vs I forgot which team? 11-11 from 3 point range in the first 11 throws.

Cleveland has shown sings of brilliance in offense in almost each game but the achiles was defense and not knowing how to kill the game. Almost every lost they had came after they already lead by double digits

 

[gregdawg]

I admittedly haven't been able to watch too many games so far, so maybe somebody can help me out. what's the issue with the offense? Is Blatt's system just not fit for the NBA. does it simply not work in the American game? or are the players just not grasping it and/or executing it properly?

the few times I have watched the Cavs, the offense has looked very ineffective and disjointed. even when they try to move, it doesn't look like anything with purpose…it doesn't look like the movement is leading to any actual openings. this makes me wonder if the players aren't confident in the effectiveness of the plays, so they get frustrated and just resort to one-on-one when the play doesn't lead to anything. are Blatt's schemes just not that effective? maybe somebody with more knowledge can fill me in.

 

[Muffinalt]

I always go to bballbreakdown to see if an offense or defense is successful or not. What is telling is that some of the sets of Blatt when executed properly have coach Nick in awe, saying that was the prettiest set of the season, or once the Cavs learn it properly, we'll unstoppable.

Im no expert, but I trust bballbreakdown. Defense is another issue, but the players arent executing with 100% effort on offense either. To me that is the only reason why there is so much fluctuation. I dont think Blatt's schemes do not fit the NBA. There might be other issues like time management etc, but I believe he is experimenting and at the same time the players havent bought in completely. Chemistry, time and being sick of losing will change that.

And then I hope the defense can click too...

 

[Cavatt]

I always go to bballbreakdown to see if an offense or defense is successful or not. What is telling is that some of the sets of Blatt when executed properly have coach Nick in awe, saying that was the prettiest set of the season, or once the Cavs learn it properly, we'll unstoppable.

Im no expert, but I trust bballbreakdown. Defense is another issue, but the players arent executing with 100% effort on offense either. To me that is the only reason why there is so much fluctuation. I dont think Blatt's schemes do not fit the NBA. There might be other issues like time management etc, but I believe he is experimenting and at the same time the players havent bought in completely. Chemistry, time and being sick of losing will change that.

And then I hope the defense can click too...

This is totally spot on. I really saw it when he broke down the Spurs game. you saw them run a set and then coach Nick broke down how they didn't quite execute it and they broke off the play. You can tell right now when it isn't working they are breaking off the play. I am not sure why this isn't one of Blatt's answers in the pressers. He seems reluctant to throw any players under the bus and say they aren't running the offense. When he was "wired" on ESPN you could hear him say "run your sets, run your sets".

Offense is important, but with several of our offensive guys not clicking, it's the thing I am least worried about. the problem is you can run your set to perfection and still miss the shot. You can get a point blank layup and even Lebron can be off and miss that. No matter how well you execute you are not in control of the game unless you can control the pace and have some control over whether the other team scores. That is what we are seeing right now. It is the good defensive teams that are "controlling" the Cavs by throwing them off their offense.

The suns really proved it with their Nash led teams. They were the best offense in the league for years, but they never even got to the finals. I didn't understand their appeal well back then as the Cavs almost never lost to them and it was because Brown would seriously just shut them down.

team cannot control the game consistently with offense, and when this Cavs team has played good D they have dominated on offense as well with fast break points and superior rebounding. The rebounding numbers look not that great right now because the opposing team is making a lot of shots.

 

[Kevin Ollie]

This is totally spot on. I really saw it when he broke down the Spurs game. you saw them run a set and then coach Nick broke down how they didn't quite execute it and they broke off the play. You can tell right now when it isn't working they are breaking off the play. I am not sure why this isn't one of Blatt's answers in the pressers. He seems reluctant to throw any players under the bus and say they aren't running the offense. When he was "wired" on ESPN you could hear him say "run your sets, run your sets".

Offense is important, but with several of our offensive guys not clicking, it's the thing I am least worried about. the problem is you can run your set to perfection and still miss the shot. You can get a point blank layup and even Lebron can be off and miss that. No matter how well you execute you are not in control of the game unless you can control the pace and have some control over whether the other team scores. That is what we are seeing right now. It is the good defensive teams that are "controlling" the Cavs by throwing them off their offense.

The suns really proved it with their Nash led teams. They were the best offense in the league for years, but they never even got to the finals. I didn't understand their appeal well back then as the Cavs almost never lost to them and it was because Brown would seriously just shut them down.

team cannot control the game consistently with offense, and when this Cavs team has played good D they have dominated on offense as well with fast break points and superior rebounding. The rebounding numbers look not that great right now because the opposing team is making a lot of shots.

I agree with almost everything you said, but from 2004 to 2008, the prime years of those D'Antoni teams, the Cavs were 2-6 against the Suns. Those Suns teams were really good though, and it was only the San Antonio Spurs that consistently found ways to beat them.

You are exactly right that the Cavs are letting the other teams dictate the game. It's Blatt's job to figure out how to reach these guys to get them to understand how to impose their will on games. The way this roster is constructed that's going to have to be through scoring at a relentless pace that other teams find hard to match and dominating the glass on both ends of the court. They are eventually going to have to defend better, but they aren't going to be anything more than average, not with these players.

 

[mhi]

Still need more spacing in the starting lineup. Teams just don't guard Marion and Love wants his rebounds. You can see Lebron is taking too many jumpers because of this.

But I understand Blatt's lack of options; and that's on the FO.

 

[pinoycavsfan]

spacing is an issue because klove is posting up and marion is on the baseline.. make klove engaged on high pick n roll situations, it creates pressure on the defense to defend the ball handler and klove thus creating more space on the wings.

 

[mhi]

I agree pinoy, the problem is, as I mentioned this in the other thread, Love needs to get away from "post to get going" mentality; he doesn't need those postups to get going. Also when the plays break down and a ball handler is at the top of the key, there is almost no room to drive because Love and AV are in the paint for rebounds. Ideally Love would stay spotted up for the shot but he tends to drift up for the rebound. Add it that Marion's man is just cheating off of him and you have 3 defenders in the lane as well as the man guarding the ball handler.

IMO, we should try more lineups with Love at 5 along with Irving, Lebron, and two other shooters. Ideally those shooters would also be high level defenders but that's not our roster's make up so I'll go with Miller and Marion. This lineup would also out to create offense around Love and James postups as well as Irving and James dribble penetration. I think we can get away with this on defense for short spurts, as long as everyone is locked in 100% on that end.