Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 bad trends in their 6 defeats
By Ryan Piers
2. Poor shooting and giving up 3s
A comparison of the Cavaliers’ wins and losses yields some weird results. Cleveland is passing better in losses, averaging nearly four more assists per game in defeats than in wins. The Cavs also block more shots and rebound the ball better when they lose.
But in a cross comparison between victories and defeats, two numbers pop off the page. The Cavs regularly go through poor shooting stretches. These nasty strings are more prevalent in defeats. Hence, Cleveland shoots nearly four percent worse when their opponent wins.
As the Cavs struggle to find the bottom of the net, their opponents appear to have swiped their good-shooting juju. In wins against Cleveland, opponents are averaging nearly 15 made triples. The Houston Rockets lead the NBA in 3s made per game, averaging 14. So, the Cavs are hemorrhaging deep balls at a league-high pace in defeats.
On Sunday, the Hawks built their lead with 3-pointers, drilling a handful of them in the opening couple minutes. The first few clips from the game’s highlight says it all:
Cleveland failed to close out the corner shooter multiple times early, and then slacked off picks, surrendering comfortable looks as the game progressed. If this continues, Cleveland will bury itself so far down in the standings, even a late James run won’t get them home-court advantage in the playoffs.