4 things the Cleveland Cavilers have to do differently to get back in the series

The Cleveland Cavaliers have got to do these three things to get back in the series.

We’ve talked before on here about how the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ lack of scoring, especially from the bench, was a cause for concern. The team just doesn’t have anyone reliable off the bench to lean on. Ricky Rubio is not a scorer by nature, and Caris LeVert isn’t someone you can rely on comfortably outside of the paint. He’s shooting just 31% from three and a putrid 65% from the free-throw line.

We knew all of this would be an issue coming in, which is why it was so imperative to lean on Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Both of them had big games, with Mitchell dropping 38 in Game 1 and Garland dropping 32 in Game 2.

Both of them were also the reason they lost games as well, with Garland shooting a pathetic 19% in Game 3, and Mitchell shooting a better but still bad 27.8% in Game 4.  These men need to play better, that’s obvious but head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has got to do something different.

And these are the three things we think he should change.

Three things the Cleveland Cavaliers have got to start doing in Game 5

No more hero ball

Do you want a Game 6? Then the Cavs can no longer rely on Mitchell dancing about at the top of the key or Garland shooting up junk. The ball has got to be moved around; this was something they did fantastically last year. This year, however, the ball movement dies with Mitchell. Getting other players involved is the only way to beat a Tom Thibodeau defense. He keys so hard on the primary scorers, that unless you can find the open shot, he’ll wreck you.

Stop playing anyone who can’t contribute to the scoring

On last year’s team, with Lauri Markkanen and Kevin Love, you can afford to play an Isaac Okoro or Dean Wade type. This year’s team is slower, not as good at shooting, and has some of the lowest outputs in the league. This isn’t slander, look at their stats. They’re near the bottom of the league in points per game, pace per game, and three-pointers attempted per game.

Shuffle the bench

So the Cleveland Cavaliers should start with Mitchell, Garland, Danny Green, Caris LeVert, and Jarrett Allen, then you rotate Evan Mobley and anyone else who can shoot. Now, this isn’t about demoting Mobley, but clearly, Bickerstaff doesn’t think Wade can add value, so instead of just rotating them off after the first four minutes, just emphasize three-point shooting. That way Mobley can serve as a sub for Allen, both can get 30+ minutes, and that way you ensure Julius Randle doesn’t get his shots. More importantly, it opens up Dylan Windler for some opportunities.

Stop putting Darius Garland on Jalen Brunson

The Cleveland Cavaliers have got to stop putting Darius Garland on Jalen Brunson. Sure, Garland had a good half of defense in Game 2, but beyond that? Nothing. According to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, the matchup data that’s available claims Garland, not anyone else who is known for their defense, but the one player who is flat-out bad at it, has been the second-most used defender against Jalen Brunson. Brunson, who’s not a franchise kind of guy, is shooting horridly from three-point. If the Cavs put someone on him who could keep him out of the paint, then maybe the Cavs wouldn’t have to worry about the only guy on the Knicks who is producing. Garland is taking over 50% of his shots from three to 16 feet from the basket. Since Game 4 saw him as the primary defender against Brunson, a lot of that is on him.