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What’s Wrong With LeBron James And The Cleveland Cavaliers?

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 18, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 18, 2016; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) looks on against the Orlando Magic during the second half at Amway Center. Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Orlando Magic 109-103. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Jan 6, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) shoots the ball over Washington Wizards forward Kelly Oubre Jr. (12) in the second quarter at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

5. Three-Point Shooting

On the season, the Cavs are shooting 35.7 percent from three-point range, ranking ninth in the NBA. Since the All-Star Break they’ve been just as consistent, converting 35.6 percent of their three-point attempts. The only problem is it’s the role players that are doing the heavy lifting off the bench.

Though Channing Frye (42.0 percent on 4.4 attempts per game), Matthew Dellavedova (42.7 percent on 3.2 attempts per game) Richard Jefferson (40 percent on 2.3 attempts per game) and J.R. Smith (39.3 percent on 6.5 attempts per game) have been extremely efficient from deep, the team’s stars have struggled in this area, preventing the Cavs’ offense from being truly elite.

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    • Kevin Love, the team’s designated stretch-4, is shooting just 34.2 percent from long range on 5.5 attempts per game. Kyrie Irving, the team’s hot shooting point guard who shot 41.5 percent from three-point range last season, is shooting a dreadful 30.9 percent on 4.8 attempts per game. Iman Shumpert, a supposed “3-and-D” player, is making just 30.8 percent of his shots from downtown.

    But the worst of the bunch has been LeBron James, who is shooting a career-worst 28.9 percent from three-point range on 3.8 attempts per game. After working so hard to perfect his perimeter shot for so many years, and shooting 40.6 percent, 37.9 percent and 35.4 percent from deep in his last three seasons, James has completely backslid.

    That hasn’t stopped him or the Cavs from being effective on offense. Cleveland still sports the league’s fourth ranked offense, while King James is averaging 25.0 points per game on 51 percent shooting.

    But this eye-opening stat will matter come playoff time when the defenses tighten up: On shots from less than five feet, LeBron is shooting 434-for-637 from the floor (68.1 percent). But on all shots outside of five feet, he’s shooting just 226-for-657 (34.4 percent).

    James has been efficient by getting into the painted area at will, but in the playoffs, teams will make the Cavs pay for that kind of ineffective perimeter shooting, especially if the three-point shooting of guys like Frye, Dellavedova, Smith or Shumpert completely falls off the way it did last year under the bright lights.

    Next: No. 4

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