BREAKING NEWS:Cleveland Cavaliers succumb to three-point shooting variance…
three-point shots aren’t falling. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are two of the most dominant rim finishers in the league. Yet the Cavs were without Mobley today. And Allen’s impact becomes blunted when the perimeter scoring fails so drastically.
Allen began this game on a tear. He was rampaging to the rim every other possession and Orlando had no answer for him. But as the day went on, Cleveland’s three-point shooting became an obvious weakness. Orlando was able to successfully adjust by packing the paint — and no one on the Cavaliers could break them out of it. Allen took just two shots in the fourth quarter.
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Cleveland’s offense is a powerhouse and delicate balance all the same. They don’t spam three-pointers for the sake of gaming the system like the Boston Celtics. The Cavs practice inside-out scoring better than anyone. But when one half of that scoring disappears, the other becomes more difficult.
A handful of turnovers came in the second half when Cleveland tried to force-feed Allen in the paint. The Magic were able to pounce on these attempts without worrying as much about leaving the perimeter vulnerable. The only thing that could have changed this was a defiant response from the Cavaliers’ shooters. We kept waiting for a Cavalanche that never materialized.
Conclusion
There are no sweeping conclusions to be made from this game. Especially not when Mobley didn’t even play.The Cavaliers have already shown us everything they need to show in the regular season. They are on a historic pace and have consistently proven they can beat anybody in the league. The only thing left is to do it in the postseason.
A poor shooting performance is nothing to worry about. Cleveland’s sloppy offensive execution today isn’t something we have no reason to grow accustomed to. Still, pointing to the areas they can improve is always worthwhile. Taking care of the ball and maintaining a balance of inside-out scoring is their path toward winning even when they aren’t shooting the ball well.
“This is all part of it as a collective,” said Mitchell. “You know, we’ll learn from this and get better.”
