Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 takeaways from Game 5 vs. Boston Celtics

3. Role players did not contribute

The Cavs decided to trade a good portion of their team away and get younger on Feb. 8. The first team they faced with everyone available after the roster shakeup was the Boston Celtics — a game they won with the help of the younger players they had just acquired.

On the back of LeBron James, the Cavaliers were able to win their first two series against the Toronto Raptors and Indiana Pacers. Now they are facing the Celtics, who are young, fast and move the ball at a high rate.

LeBron James had 26 points and 10 boards, while Kevin Love had 14. The rest of the team did not reach double figures. In the starting lineup, Tristan Thompson had one point, J.R. Smith had two and George Hill had seven.

The Cavaliers will need more points from Smith via his 3-point shooting and will need more hustle and effort from Thompson, which was his niche when he became the player that he was today.

The Cavs got good production from the starting lineup in Game 4 (almost every starting player scored in double figures). If they want to win the next two games, players like Smith and Kyle Korver will have to make their 3s to provide offensive help for the Cavs.

Cleveland used to be one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the league. In March of 2017, the Cavs broke the single-game record for the most 3s in game against the Hawks. They will have to get back to that form to get back to the Finals.