Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 adjustments for Game 3 vs. Warriors

3. Make open shots

It’s not as much a tactical adjustment as it is an improvement in quality of play. Golden State gifted Cleveland with 25 “open” looks Sunday night, per NBA.com. The Cavs hit seven of them, including only 3-for-12 from deep.

The Cavs were shooting at fish in a barrel and missing. With each bricked open look, Cleveland appeared more depleted.

The Cavaliers’ reliance on making 3s has been heavily documented. The offense is predicated on spacing the floor, allowing LeBron James to attract a double-team off the drive and kick out to the open player. When Cleveland wins, the pattern works. The Cavs were third in the league in 3-pointers made, only eight behind Golden State.

The playoffs, however, have been a different story. Only Kyle Korver (44.1 percent) is shooting better than 40 percent from the outside, and he is 2-for-10 over his last three games.

The worst culprit is Jordan Clarkson (23.9 percent), who needs to be a reliable bench scorer with the struggles of J.R. Smith. Clarkson was roasted on Twitter for his abysmal play, consistently chucking up contested shots.

Getting back on task, Clarkson’s miserable play isn’t the problem. The problem is Cleveland shot 7-for-25 on good looks in Game 2. That must improve in Game 3.