Cavs: Out of sync offensively, Clippers roll Cleveland

Cleveland’s out of synch offense can’t hang with the Los Angeles Clipper in a 121-99 beatdown that saw the Cavs settle for easy shots over necessary shots.

The Cavs were close at half-time, trailing only three but that wouldn’t last. The Cavs let the Clippers wreck them from three, with Paul George hitting eight three’s on his own as opposed to the Cavs, who hit just four as a team; hence the runaway score of 121-99.

The Clippers were 20-of-34 from three-point, while the Cavs shot a dismal 4-of-10. Part of the problem is the Cavs guar duo of Darius Garland and Collin Sexton settling for mid-range jumpers when down by 10+ points instead of taking three’s or kicking out to a wide-open shooter.

The Cavs continue to struggle while behind and don’t seem to possess the ability to mount a comeback when down even by 10. The Cavs’ desire to take shots from what felt like only inside the paint is a flawed offensive strategy.

If it’s a problem of personnel, then perhaps it’s time to shake up the lineup. The Cavs need to work in Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler more into their offensive scheme and have Collin Sexton or/and Darius Garland start kicking out to the perimeter more often.

Here are some notes

Andre Drummond got manhandled

Watching Andre Drummond get manhandled by Ivica Zubac on both sides of the court was embarrassing. It’s not that Zubac is a bad player or anything, but Drummond is supposed to be this max-level player and can’t even handle their back-up center. His five rebounds were disconcerting and his offensive shot selection continues to be a problem.

Isaac Okoro should come off the bench

The team defense isn’t good enough to win games. The team offense is among the worst in the league. If the team is going to actually win, they have to have players in the starting five who can actually score. The offense is perpetually playing four-on-five offensively with Okoro on the court

Not enough passing

Darius Garland and Collin Sexton are falling into bad habits. Both men should be at six assists a game at least with how much they have control of the ball coming up the court. If they aren’t willing to be the prime distributor of the ball, then find someone who will.

Larry Nance is sorely missed

It’s quite obvious that Larry Nance is a glue for this team that they can’t replace. Without him on the court, the team isn’t moving the ball as well or playing defense as well.