Cavs needed to find an alternative tonight.
You can’t win every game. But you can play every game with a winning process. The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t deploy a bad strategy against the Orlando Magic — but they could have found alternatives once it became clear they were on the wrong side of the math game.
The Cavs entered this game as the best three-point shooting team in the NBA. The Magic entered as the worst. Yet, Orlando hit 13 three-pointers on above 40% shooting while the Cavs were stuck underwater at 25% on just 10-40 shooting. If that isn’t the perfect example of the extreme variance in today’s NBA, then I don’t know what is.
So it’s no secret that even the best teams in the league will have poor shooting nights. Overcoming those performances by cleaning up the little things is how you become a 56-win team such as the Cavs. They’ve had no trouble beating opponents even when their three-point shot is absent. Today, that wasn’t the case. Let’s figure out why:
Cavs didn’t value possessions
Taking care of the ball is the most important thing you can do when shots aren’t falling. If the margin for error is already smaller than usual — the least you can do is give yourself opportunities to succeed. The Cavs didn’t do this tonight, turning it over seven times in the third quarter alone.
Their third quarter collapse was the turning point. Orlando forced the Cavaliers into three consecutive turnovers as they were simply trying to bring the ball to halfcourt. Each error resulted in an immediate basket for the Magic. Cleveland finally crossed the timeline on their fourth attempt — but this possession ended with a difficult three-point shot from Donovan Mitchell that missed the mark.
This was a theme throughout the game. Mitchell shot 9-28 from the floor as he tried to work his way back from a groin injury. He pressed and pressed as the game went on, finishing with five assists and three turnovers. Darius Garland and Ty Jerome were also careless with the ball — combining for eight turnovers and only five assists.
“I think the biggest thing, we just didn’t execute late the right way like we have been,” Mitchell said after the game. “Some of the looks were open and we just missed, but also some of them were self-inflicted.”
Sloppy shot selection and even worse handling of the ball made it impossible for the Cavs to overcome their 10-of-40 three-point shooting. A more responsible approach to running the offense would have given them a better chance.
The trickle-down effect
One benefit of the Cavaliers’ double-big lineup is it gives them an alternative when three-point shots aren’t falling. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are two of the most dominant rim finishers in the league. Yet the Cavs were without Mobley today. And Allen’s impact becomes blunted when the perimeter scoring fails so drastically.
Allen began this game on a tear. He was rampaging to the rim every other possession and Orlando had no answer for him. But as the day went on, Cleveland’s three-point shooting became an obvious weakness. Orlando was able to successfully adjust by packing the paint — and no one on the Cavaliers could break them out of it. Allen took just two shots in the fourth quarter.
Cleveland’s offense is a powerhouse and delicate balance all the same. They don’t spam three-pointers for the sake of gaming the system like the Boston Celtics. The Cavs practice inside-out scoring better than anyone. But when one half of that scoring disappears, the other becomes more difficult.
A handful of turnovers came in the second half when Cleveland tried to force-feed Allen in the paint. The Magic were able to pounce on these attempts without worrying as much about leaving the perimeter vulnerable. The only thing that could have changed this was a defiant response from the Cavaliers’ shooters. We kept waiting for a Cavalanche that never materialized.
Conclusion
There are no sweeping conclusions to be made from this game. Especially not when Mobley didn’t even play.
The Cavaliers have already shown us everything they need to show in the regular season. They are on a historic pace and have consistently proven they can beat anybody in the league. The only thing left is to do it in the postseason.
A poor shooting performance is nothing to worry about. Cleveland’s sloppy offensive execution today isn’t something we have no reason to grow accustomed to. Still, pointing to the areas they can improve is always worthwhile. Taking care of the ball and maintaining a balance of inside-out scoring is their path toward winning even when they aren’t shooting the ball well.
“This is all part of it as a collective,” said Mitchell. “You know, we’ll learn from this and get better.”