Cleveland Cavaliers: Depth is still a problem

The Cleveland Cavaliers still have some kinks to iron out in the rotation. Their depth, particularly on defense, looks like it will be a problem in 2017-18.

The 2017-18 season got off to a positive start for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they defeated the Boston Celtics 102-99, but their defense down the stretch exposed some chinks in the armor.

The Cavaliers look as stout as ever in the frontcourt with Kevin Love at the 5 and Tristan Thompson coming off the bench. Jeff Green has proven to be a solid presence off the bench as well.

LeBron James and Jae Crowder have given Cleveland a strong pair that can be interchangeable at either forward position, depending on matchups.

The Cavaliers can hold onto the title of best team in the East this season with a strength in numbers approach, but it’s their depth in the backcourt that seems to be an early cause of concern.

The Cavaliers played a solid defensive game, only allowing 99 points to a conference rival. It was a 33-point outburst in the third quarter that had Cleveland scrambling in the end.

The “Dwyane Wade in the starting lineup” experiment looks to be in its early stages, but it doesn’t look like it’s going to work. The Cavaliers could use him off the bench considering they want to be an efficient 3-point shooting team.

Wade is a career 28.7 percent 3-point shooter, while J.R. Smith on the other hand, is a 37.4 percent career shooter from behind the 3-point line. It will be interesting see how the Cavaliers will look to find their strongest defensive rotation while maintaining the same offensive firepower, particularly when Isaiah Thomas comes back.

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The Cavaliers starting lineup came out lackadaisically in the third quarter after leading 54-38 at halftime. The Celtics used a 28-8 run to close the gap to 72-71 to start the fourth quarter.

Prioritizing defense

As the league continues to evolve, rotations require that guys are able to guard multiple positions. Switching screens has become the go-to move for a lot of teams in the NBA.

The third quarter showed how much rotations will matter down the stretch. Derrick Rose played roughly 31 minutes in the game and finished with an offensive rating of 94.2, a defensive rating of 102.7 with a net rating of -8.4. Alongside Rose, there was Dwayne Wade, who had an offensive rating of 99.2, a defensive rating of 100.3 with a net rating of -1.0 in roughly 29 minutes of play.

Wade did have two big blocks down the stretch on defense, but still, his presence can be used a whole lot more off the bench.

Off the bench, J.R. Smith finished with an offensive rating of 104.2, a defensive rating of 88.8 and a net rating of +15.3 in roughly 22 minutes of play. Iman Shumpert finished with an offensive rating of 111.2 and a defensive rating of 90.6 with a net rating of +20.6.

Playing Smith and Shumpert would be all fine and good if/when I.T. is healthy, but doing it now would put them back at that “We need a backup point guard” phase LeBron James had last season.

They do have 36-year-old Jose Calderon on the roster, but he didn’t log any minutes in the victory over the Celtics. The Cleveland Cavaliers did recently sign former University of Virginia guard London Perrantes to a two-way contract. 

Perrantes, a 6-foot-2 guard, was signed by the San Antonio Spurs after going undrafted in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was cut after Training Camp before being picked up by the Cavaliers.

He comes from an NCAA program with a pedigree for solid defensive play. Cleveland could end up having to use him while awaiting I.T.’s return to the basketball court.

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One thing’s for certain, Rose playing 30-plus minutes is a recipe for disaster on the defensive end. Granted, he had 14 points on the offensive end, but a balanced dose of offense and defense is more of what the Cleveland Cavaliers need to utilize their depth.