Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 3 vs. Pacers
By Ryan Piers
2. The bench looks bad
Will anyone besides LeBron (28 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists) please stand up? For a moment, it looked like the Cavaliers bench might have actually remembered it was game night.
James rested for the first six minutes of the second quarter, a hibernation by his standards. The lineup on the floor played even with Indiana during that stretch, with Kevin Love peppering the Pacers with outside shots and an array of smooth passes.
Then as LeBron played the role of facilitator in the third, Cav after Cav tossed up bricks and failed to finish plays as part of a miserable third quarter. By the time James decided to take over the fourth, hitting all but one of the Cavs field goals in the last eight minutes, it was too late.
This graph perfectly summarizes how lackluster Cleveland’s supporting cast has been this series.
After their 90-92 loss to the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers are now down 1-2 in their first-round series. Here's how all #AllForOne players have fared in TPA throughout the 2018 playoffs: pic.twitter.com/hKh9A0kFkQ
— NBA Math (@NBA_Math) April 21, 2018
Defensively, the non-LeBrons have been OK. Offensively, however, they are atrocious. Kevin Love returning to full health should help, but Tyronn Lue has to find a combination of role players that works.
Unfortunately, the playoffs aren’t the time to experiment.