CLEVELAND: Twenty-one thoughts for 21 points from Kyrie Irving in Friday’s 108-83 win over the Washington Wizards…
1. This was the plan all along, the way the players tell it. Except it was supposed to be Joe Johnson instead of Iman Shumpert. There was a time when Cavs players thought Johnson was coming to Cleveland and they were already discussing a devastating scoring lineup featuring Kyrie Irving, J.R. Smith, Johnson, LeBron James and Kevin Love.
2. “Who could guard that?” one player asked. It’s a moot point now, of course. Johnson is on South Beach and the Cavs didn’t get the extra wing they were seeking at the buyout. The coaches had been toying with the idea of using a small lineup for a while now. Friday seemed the perfect time to try it. So instead of Johnson, coach Tyronn Lue took advantage of Kevin Love’s night off to try Iman Shumpert.
3. The result was predictable – James playing terrific from the post. Of course, even as a ‘4’ James still spent much of his time around the perimeter. They have used lineups like this to close games before, but never to start one. Just as the trades to acquire Timofey Mozgov, Shumpert and Smith triggered a second-half charge last season, this could be the key to unlock another deep playoff run.
4. “Our offense is a lot faster, a little bit more precise with me at the 4,” James said. “I don’t see a downfall to it.”
5. James has resisted playing predominantly in the post previously and reiterated just a couple of weeks ago he still views himself as a wing player. He started dabbling more in the post around this time last season, but didn’t fully immerse in it until closer to April and the start of the playoffs. It seems to be happening a bit sooner this time around.
6. “I’ve been able to transition, just taking the challenge against anybody,” he said, referencing his days playing in the post with the Heat. “It ain’t about the height or the weight, it’s about what’s inside of you, how big your heart is and how determined you are to say, ‘OK, we’re all professionals. You might score on me, but it’s not going to be easy.’”
7. James said it was “definitely” the right time to begin this transition. Playing at the 4 in this lineup takes the ball out of his hands more and makes him the primary screener for Irving on pick-and-rolls. It will remain that way with Love at center. James will remain the primary screen setter, while Love will be the floor spacer.
8. Now my mea culpa: I blew it tonight. I misinterpreted some conversations I had prior to tonight’s game and was operating under the assumption this would be the lineup the Cavs were starting moving forward, except with Love starting at center in place of Timofey Mozgov. I was wrong. Lue said after the game Love will remain at power forward when he returns to the lineup Saturday.
9. Still, this remains a lineup to watch and one the Cavs will likely close games with both now and in the playoffs. The coaches like using Love at center – he has been playing more there in recent games – and believe he’s a better fit there defensively. With the league trending small, Love struggles to keep some forwards in front of him. It’s a little easier for him at center, plus he can really exploit some of the slower footed centers and draw bigs out of the lane with his ability to stretch the floor.
10. The smaller, sleeker lineup blitzed a Wizards team that has given the Cavs major problems this season. The Wizards have twice handled the Cavs rather easily because of the pace at which John Wall plays, but this lineup took advantage of sloppy ball-handling from the Wizards. They forced nine steals (James had three of them) and the Wizards committed 14 turnovers through three quarters.
11. All of this works better, of course, if Shumpert is making shots. He provides an added layer of defense that would’ve been missing with the hypothetical Joe Johnson lineup, but Shumpert is mired in a deep shooting slump. He missed all three of his shots Friday and has now missed his last 10 shots dating back to Sunday’s loss to the Wizards. Shumpert’s shooting percentage dipped to .368 while his 3-point shooting is exactly 30 percent.
12. “It’s a frustrating thing, but talking to guys that are ‘shooters,’ they say they even have rough patches when they’re not shooting the ball well,” Shumpert said. “I just have to keep putting in the work and keep shooting the ball. These guys are going to give me shots.”
13. The Cavs privately believe Shumpert sometimes tries to do too much and he gets in trouble when he puts the ball on the floor and starts attacking – more often than not it leads to turnovers. They have reiterated to him all they need from him is to shoot corner 3-pointers and defend the way he’s capable, but whether he’s trying to live up to the contract he signed last summer or it’s something else, Shumpert hasn’t been the same player he was last season.
14. “For me with Shump, his biggest thing for us is defending the best player every single night,” Lue said. “His shot is going to come and go. Some games, he’s going to get six or seven shots, some games he gets two shots. I’m not really worried about his shots and his scoring. He just has to step up and shoot them with confidence. For the most part, for Shump and for us, his value is every single night guarding the best player, which he’s done a great job of.”
15. Friday marked just the third time this season the Cavs used a lineup of Irving, Smith, Shumpert, James and Mozgov, according to the league’s stats. It has produced a net rating of 11.9, meaning it outscores opponents by an average of nearly 12 points per 100 possessions.
16. This lineup with Love instead of Mozgov has been used nine times and has produced tremendous ball movement. The Cavs create assists on 70 percent of their baskets with that lineup and produce an offensive rating of 130.5, meaning they score 130.5 points per 100 possessions. The only problem is they allow 131.1 points, creating a negative net rating.
17. Putting James in the post and making him the primary screener left the ball in Irving’s hands more. He responded with eight assists and spread them around. He found Matthew Dellavedova for a pair of 3-pointers in the first half, Smith for a 3-pointer and a jumper and Mozgov on a lob. He hit Tristan Thompson on a pair of baskets in the fourth and James Jones for a 3-pointer. Whereas normally Irving and James share the ball-handling duties, the ball was more in Irving’s hands Friday.
18. “Tonight was a lot more ball dominant for me coming off those pick-and-rolls and knowing what our pick-and-roll action was going to lead to,” Irving said. “It wasn’t so much dominated with him coming off pick-and-rolls and switching off. Tonight it was, ‘I’m coming off him and we’re both making plays.’”
19. Matthew Dellavedova’s crazy good shooting season continues. Dellavedova is shooting 50 percent from 3-point range in his last six games (12 of 24) and he’s at 48 percent in catch-and-shoot situations from deep. J.R. Smith, by comparison, is shooting 44 percent on catch-and-shoots, Klay Thompson is at 43 percent. Of the league’s top 3-point shooters, one of the select few faring better than Dellavedova is J.J. Redick, who is shooting 49.6 percent on catch-and-shoots.
20. It was strange to see Love resting after the Cavs just had three days off, but he was going to sit one of these two games this weekend and they believe it’s better on the body to rest all at once rather than break it up with a game in between. Lue said no one will rest Saturday for the Celtics. All the regulars will be available.
21. Marla Ridenour has you covered Saturday for the Celtics. I have a family commitment. Talk to you Monday after the Grizzlies.