It’s not the only issue on the team, but the Cavs’ lack of a true backup point guard has been at the root of the worst eight-game stretch the team has endured with LeBron James on the floor since 2014.
Lack of defensive intensity has been a problem. Having too many guys who only play one end of the floor is a problem. Losing J.R. Smith has been a problem.
But a significant chunk of this stems from the lack of a backup point guard.
Let’s take a look at the pieces the Cavs have in the backcourt and break it down.
Point Guard: Kyrie Irving
So-called Backup Point Guards:
Iman Shumpert – good defender, having a good year on offense, hasn’t played backup point guard since Smith’s injury
DeAndre Liggins – good defender, leaves much to be desired on offense, can’t handle the ball well or be a floor general
Kay Felder – still learning his way in the league, has shown flashes on offense, has significant amount of room to grow on defense
To call those guys backup point guards is using the term loosely.
Shooting guards:
Shumpert
Kyle Korver – Poor defense, can’t handle the ball and set up the offense
Richard Jefferson – a combination of a shooting guard/small forward, not a ballhandler, not a great passer
Jordan McRae – decent shooter, decent ballhandler, great at getting to the free throw line, below-average defender
ACTUAL BACKUP POINT GUARD:
LeBron James – when Irving is on the bench, LeBron facilitates the offense, especially now that Shumpert has been playing more at shooting guard
Irving said it himself. “The way our lineup is set up right now, when we’re both in there, we share responsibilities. When one of us is out, the other one is in. That’s just the dynamic of our team right now.”
Kyrie Irving asked if he and LeBron James are carrying too much of the load as the "only 2 playmakers on the team" pic.twitter.com/kCBtPu4Dj8
— Matt Medley (@MedleyHoops) January 26, 2017
This is where the Cavs are missing Matthew Dellavedova from last year and are hurting from the Mo Williams fiasco that took place in September.
This is not a new issue, but the Smith injury especially made it more difficult and at the midway point of the season, it has finally caught up to the team.
When LeBron said, “we need a ********** playmaker,” the first option that comes to mind would be a point guard to run the offense, but it could also be a shooting guard or a combo guard, who is able to take care of the basketball and create plays for others.
Guys like Leandro Barbosa or Rodney Stuckey come to mind as hybrid guard options.
The bottom line is that this Cavs rotation, especially without Smith, is not getting the maximum production out of LeBron and Irving, and is also wearing those two down at an alarming rate.
If those two were able to rest at the same time, early in the fourth quarter for instance, they’d both be fresher and probably able to provide even more of a boost than what they’ve been doing over this ugly eight-game stretch.
Irving is playing 35 minutes per game this season. He played 31.5 minutes per game in 2015-16, but some of that was attributed to starting the year on a minutes restriction because of his knee injury.
However, that history, which goes well beyond his 2015 Finals knee injury, is still something the Cavs have to prepare for and be cautious to keep him fresh.
We saw the Golden State Warriors go through what some would call a process of “burning out” in the 2016 Playoffs.
They tried so hard to get that 73-9 record in the regular season that perhaps guys like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green were running out of gas by the time the Western Conference Finals rolled around.
Curry ended up playing through the Playoffs with a minor injury – possibly a result of being overused.
The Warriors were down 3-1 in the Conference Finals and willed themselves past the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Are we watching the Cavs head the same direction?
They may not be on pace for 70 wins, but LeBron is leading the NBA in average minutes played this season (37.5).
There’s not a great argument to defend that. It may not be entirely Tyronn Lue’s fault, but he has to take some of the responsibility for it.
If the Cavs add a true backup point guard to play roughly 20 minutes per game, like Dellavedova did in 2016 once Irving was able to play unrestricted, it would significantly ease the load on the two All-Star starters.
It would also allow the Cavs to use their shooting guard trio of Shumpert, Korver, and Liggins more flexibly, rather than giving Shumpert and Liggins minutes at point guard.
When the Cavs need a lockdown defender and Shumpert is getting a breather, Liggins is the guy.
Korver is already playing significant minutes, especially crunch time, but there’ll be critical times when the Cavs need a clutch three, and it’s easy to decide who to put in when that time arrives.
When Smith is healthy, it’s going to be a much different rotation altogether, and there’s a good chance Liggins is the odd man out with Shumpert as the defensive option, but until then, the Cavs have to fix this issue.
If the organization lets it go on much longer, it puts Irving and LeBron at a greater risk of being burnt out or worst case scenario: injured.
We always marvel at how healthy LeBron James has been over his career. No one is invincible.
It’s been a great season for Irving from a health standpoint, save for a brief three-game stretch in which he rested due to hamstring tightness.
What do the Cavs have to gain by playing their two superstars 35-40 minutes a night?
Sometimes it’ll be the difference between winning and losing games in January and February, but that reward doesn’t outweigh the possible negative side effects, which are already evident with this team.
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