Cleveland Cavaliers: What Must Change Under Tyronn Lue?

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Jan 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) dribbles against Los Angeles Clippers guard Austin Rivers (25) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Isolation

The Cleveland Cavaliers have three offensive stars in Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, and Kevin Love. They also have a former Sixth Man of the Year in J.R. Smith, a former All-Star in Mo Williams, and a pick-and-roll playmaker in Matthew Dellavedova.

The Cavaliers appear to have misinterpreted what a team is supposed to do with six talented offensive playmakers.

The Cavaliers rank in the top half of the NBA in assists per game, but that fails to illustrate what consistently plagued David Blatt’s crew. Rather than spreading the wealth and executing a motion offense, Cleveland has relied heavily on its talent’s ability to execute in isolation.

According to NBA.com, Cleveland is No. 7 in the Association in isolation possessions.

Of the six teams ahead of Cleveland, three are below .500 and a fourth is the 23-22 Houston Rockets. Considering the Cavaliers are shooting just 37.4 percent in isolation, it would be wise to dramatically cut down on such plays.

Team basketball beats talent, and right now, the Cavaliers aren’t playing team basketball.

Next: Understanding the Personnel, Part I

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