Game Thread | Game #49 | Cavs @ Knicks | Jan. 24, 2023

[KilgoreTrout]

THAT’S disturbing.

 

[letgocavs]

The excuses have to stop.

 

[Tlyons]

daily reminder not to extend Interim coaches with no accomplishments

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

The Cavs bench got absolutely owned. Love was -20 in 12 minutes; Rubio -26 in 13 minutes, and LeVert -19 in 21. That unit, along with Stevens, killed us.

The Knicks' bench was +11, +12, +13, and +14.

The other factor was the opponents' 3-point shooting - again. The Knicks as a team are shooting 34.2% on 3's. Tonight they were 17-for-33 - over 50%. Randle shoots 33.4% from deep. Tonight he was 8-for-12. Why is it that every team we play ends up shooting far, far above their average on 3's? In some cases the Cavs just left guys open to double the ball, but a lot of those shots were contested.

Randle had 36 points and 13 boards. He carried the Knicks to a win.

Donovan Mitchell kept the game close early in the 4th with some 3's but in the final two minutes he drove to the rim three times, each unsuccessfully. The first time he got stripped trying to split two defenders and the ball went off his leg. The next time he tried again to dribble through a crowd and had the ball stolen. The last time Hartenstein got in front of him and rather than shoot a floater he held the ball until he was almost on the floor and then flipped it up, leaving it short. Meanwhile, Randle knocked down his open 3.

Once again the Cavs folded down the stretch. It's getting predictable and frustrating. But they never would have been in this situation of not for the bench meltdown.

Right after Randle hit the 3 we had Okoro open for an uncontested 3 which of course he missed. Both teams attempted 33 three-pointers; they hit 17, we hit 12. The Cavs' inability to hit 3's is going to cost them more games until they fix it.

Stevens played 6 minutes, Wade 4, and Cedi 3. I wonder if JBB is phasing these guys out. I thought Wade should have played more, but he fouled twice in four minutes and was done for the night.

Mitchell looked rusty and Garland was off. They combined to go 15-for-41 and the Cavs lost by 2 points. Really, really, frustrating.

 

[ice cream man]

Allen leaving Randle wide open tied was quite the move as well. Way for the coach to not yell at him to get up in his grill or even tell/remind the team to not leave him wide open late

Team just lacks basic coaching/focus and so much more

I think by that point Jarrett knows to get up into Randle. JA really just gave up once he hit a little screen. JBB was pissed and yelling at, I’m assuming JA, immediately after that shot as the game continued. I was furious with JA there as well after quite a good game for him up to that point.

 

[bob2the2nd]

The Cavs bench got absolutely owned. Love was -20 in 12 minutes; Rubio -26 in 13 minutes, and LeVert -19 in 21. That unit, along with Stevens, killed us.

The Knicks' bench was +11, +12, +13, and +14.

The other factor was the opponents' 3-point shooting - again. The Knicks as a team are shooting 34.2% on 3's. Tonight they were 17-for-33 - over 50%. Randle shoots 33.4% from deep. Tonight he was 8-for-12. Why is it that every team we play ends up shooting far, far above their average on 3's? In some cases the Cavs just left guys open to double the ball, but a lot of those shots were contested.

Randle had 36 points and 13 boards. He carried the Knicks to a win.

Donovan Mitchell kept the game close early in the 4th with some 3's but in the final two minutes he drove to the rim three times, each unsuccessfully. The first time he got stripped trying to split two defenders and the ball went off his leg. The next time he tried again to dribble through a crowd and had the ball stolen. The last time Hartenstein got in front of him and rather than shoot a floater he held the ball until he was almost on the floor and then flipped it up, leaving it short. Meanwhile, Randle knocked down his open 3.

Once again the Cavs folded down the stretch. It's getting predictable and frustrating. But they never would have been in this situation of not for the bench meltdown.

Right after Randle hit the 3 we had Okoro open for an uncontested 3 which of course he missed. Both teams attempted 33 three-pointers; they hit 17, we hit 12. The Cavs' inability to hit 3's is going to cost them more games until they fix it.

Stevens played 6 minutes, Wade 4, and Cedi 3. I wonder if JBB is phasing these guys out. I thought Wade should have played more, but he fouled twice in four minutes and was done for the night.

Mitchell looked rusty and Garland was off. They combined to go 15-for-41 and the Cavs lost by 2 points. Really, really, frustrating.

Great analysis as always but as a reminder Single game +/- is just not a good stat, hell 5 games isnt good. Mobley was literally one of the worst +/- players in the NBA the first 20-25 games of the season. Like top 3 worst. There was a string of nights for the cavs he had the worst +/- every single game. So its not always the best stat.

Did the bench play like shit, absolutely. Am i ready to trade Love and Lavert tonight, yes zero doubt. But using +/- of this game to say "these guys here are the problem" just doesnt hold statistical weight.

However as a repeat Love is either very injured and needs to sit and get healthy or get traded. Lavert needs to get traded tomorrow for a bag of new basketballs, and I am extremely worried about Rubio. But he has only been back for 5 games so definitely needs to be given some time

 

[bushwick_bill]

THAT’S disturbing.

I like it. I like it a lot. @Deezus

 

[Pierre Pan]

Great analysis as always but as a reminder Single game +/- is just not a good stat, hell 5 games isnt good. Mobley was literally one of the worst +/- players in the NBA the first 20-25 games of the season. Like top 3 worst. There was a string of nights for the cavs he had the worst +/- every single game. So its not always the best stat.

Did the bench play like shit, absolutely. Am i ready to trade Love and Lavert tonight, yes zero doubt. But using +/- of this game to say "these guys here are the problem" just doesnt hold statistical weight.

However as a repeat Love is either very injured and needs to sit and get healthy or get traded. Lavert needs to get traded tomorrow for a bag of new basketballs, and I am extremely worried about Rubio. But he has only been back for 5 games so definitely needs to be given some time

Agree with virtually everything stated here; just wanted to emphasize that the return to form post-ACL can be a lengthy ordeal; just look at Kawhi and Klay; with the former it was a 2 year-process and he’s still not 100%.

 

[Dr. Claw]

Agree with virtually everything stated here; just wanted to emphasize that the return to form post-ACL can be a lengthy ordeal; just look at Kawhi and Klay. The former it was a 2 year-process and he’s still not 100%.

agreed.

I don't think Rubio should be left out there without one of either Darius or Donovan... asking him to do all of that without one of the other guards at this point is malpractice

 

[buzzdog]

I knew we were probably going to lose about the time Levert got the flagrant foul shots plus side out, and we did jack shit with it, followed by a Knicks three pointer.

But is anyone besides me tired of our end of quarter/half/game offense, which consists of Darius or Donovan dribbling the air out of the ball, then either jacking up a defended three pointer, or charging into the lane head on against three defenders.

Once upon a time in basketball Utopia teams drew up offensive attacks that had a first. second, and third option, and depending on which ones the defense moved to stop, one of those options was always open. The Cavs seem to be incapable of anything but spread, ISO, one on three attacks in the final seconds before the buzzer.

I fucking HATE it.

 

[dms]

Lavert needs to get traded tomorrow for a bag of new basketballs

LeVert is the only guy on our bench who is playable and he's the one you want to dump?? He's also been fantastic defensively this year and allows the team to compete when either Garland or Mitchell is out. The bench on this team is awful and we desperately need shooting for spacing, but ridding us of Levert is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

 

[CavsKermit]

agreed.

I don't think Rubio should be left out there without one of either Darius or Donovan... asking him to do all of that without one of the other guards at this point is malpractice

I don't think you want to go another month staggering Garland and Mitchell's minutes that heavily. Those two need to develop some synergy. It's also why Wade needs to start sooner rather than later. We're getting to the point in the season where the starters need to develop some chemistry.

 

[CavsKermit]

LeVert is the only guy on our bench who is playable and he's the one you want to dump?? He's also been fantastic defensively this year and allows the team to compete when either Garland or Mitchell is out. The bench on this team is awful and we desperately need shooting for spacing, but ridding us of Levert is like cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Eh, he's passable defensively. He's wildly inconsistent offensively.

 

[DCTribefan]

Wtf wasnt Okoro out there?

Never thought these words would be typed.

 

[Wham with the Right Hand]

But is anyone besides me tired of our end of quarter/half/game offense, which consists of Darius or Donovan dribbling the air out of the ball, then either jacking up a defended three pointer, or charging into the lane head on against three defenders....I fucking HATE it.

Absolutely. I'm sick of it as well. Anytime it comes down to one shot it's Donovan or Darius going 1-on-5 after dribbling the clock down to 5 seconds. In a case like that if what you try doesn't result in a good shot there's no time to try again.

It's like Garland getting a desparation 3-pointer blocked by a 6'7" guy at the final buzzer when we only needed two points to win last week.

What they should do is run their normal offense, break down the defense, and try to get the ball to a big man for a dunk or kick it out for an uncontested 3.