5 Key Questions Facing The Cleveland Cavaliers
By Joe Russo
May 12, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) falls to the court while defended by Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) in the third quarter in game five of the second round of the NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
With the Cleveland Cavaliers beginning their Eastern Conference title defense, the Factory of Sadness has five big questions about LeBron James and company. So bust out your wine and gold, folks. Cleveland’s best hope for a title is back in action!
1. Who Fills the Void Left by Kyrie Irving‘s Injury?
Irving’s scoring and play-making ability will be missed the most and that will be filled by committee. Mo Williams will start the year as the point guard for the 1st unit, moving Matthew Dellavedova back to the bench. But it won’t be Williams alone, even though the gap between Williams and Irving is far smaller than Dellavedova and Irving. We all know that J.R. Smith will provide some help on the scoreboard, but Jared Cunningham and Richard Jefferson will have to eat up some minutes with the second unit since Williams, who ideally is the first guard off of the bench with a fully healthy roster, is forced to start.
The biggest void will be on the second unit for all of the aforementioned reasons. Who is the primary ball handler and playmaker with Mo Williams on the first team? Who gives the second team some punch? Delly looks again to be the lead guard on the second team, but what about someone like Anderson Varejao? His hustle and activity around the rim should exploit second team bigs. Richard Jefferson is probably the best suited wing player for the bench scorer role that Williams would fill. Don’t overlook that Jefferson shot over 44% from deep last year. He knows his role and should be able to give the Cavs a spark when needed.
Next: Figuring Out The Bigs
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