The Point Four-ward: Kickstart Their Heart

Four points I’m thinking about the Cleveland Cavaliers…

1.) Gotta hand it to your 2015-16 Cleveland Cavaliers; as most teams begin to round into form heading into the playoffs (that are now just six weeks away), the Cavs are still capable of surprising. Sometimes, like in their recent shorthanded win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, that surprise is a pleasant one. Other times, it can be considered a surprise only as much as a dirty diaper can also be thought of as containing a surprise.

So, what may seem like an inconsistent narrative — these Cavs are amazing when they win and a bunch of bums when they lose — is actually just the fact that fans and the media are still unsure what exactly they have with this team.

I’m not going to dispute the fact that a lot of coverage of this Cavs team has leaned toward the reactionary, with writers along with fans continually shifting their feet and hedging their projections with each transaction, injury report and game played. But, that’s the nature of following sports. It’s 99% not knowing. We make our projections based on available data (or — and only occasionally — by a streak of irrational regional bias). Then, such as in the case of the NBA, we are either proven right or wrong over the course of 82 games and the playoffs. We feel a little better when we see our hopes and expectations reflected on the court. We get a little testy when all of our calculations get balled up and thrown out the window.

That’s why many Cavs fans were cranky after Sunday’s loss to the Wizards. It wasn’t because people suddenly gave up on the Cavs. One week has not made this team a bunch of losers (no matter what I may have yelled at my TV by the middle of the third quarter on Sunday). But, this one week has shown that we still don’t know what this team’s personality is.

Is it the one where Kevin Love puts up huge numbers? He had big games against the Thunder and the Pistons before struggling with his shot and taking a lot of heat for his effort against the Wizards. Is it based on an increased pace and ball movement? Probably not, right? Is it the one where LeBron James has to play extremely well in order for the team to win — exactly what this team was presumably built not to be? James sat on Sunday and the team rolled over, he came back and scored 33 points in 37 minutes, and the Cavs pulled one out against the Pacers. Is this team an offensive powerhouse or one that relies on defense?

The calendar has turned to March and probably even head coach Tyronn Lue would be hard pressed to answer these questions with much certainty. And, that’s a bad sign. Eventually, they’re going to have to stop being all things to all people, resolve to pick a strategy that fits them and commit to it or risk making things so difficult for themselves come playoff time. If they are forced to find a new winning formula every time they face a challenge in the playoffs, they’ll be all used up even before they even get through the East.

So, maybe we do change our feelings about this team on a game-to-game basis. I promise we’ll stop going game-to-game just as soon as the Cavs do.

2.) Lost in the pit of self-loathing that opened up following Sunday’s loss was a nice bit of coaching by Lue. Midway through the third quarter, when the Cavs had thoroughly proved their desire to be doing anything but playing in a professional basketball game, Lue pulled four of his five starters, leaving only Richard Jefferson in as he went to his bench. Of course, much of the bench didn’t really want to be out there either, but Lue did light a spark under Timofey Mozgov.

Mozgov, who had been active but turnover happy during his stint in the first half, played with greater focus during his time in the second half and kept Tristan Thompson on the bench. Thompson finished the game with just two points and two rebounds in 21 minutes.

In fact, Sunday was the continuation of a mini-slump for Thompson, who averaged just 3.5 points and seven rebounds over his last four games, down from his season averages of nearly eight points and ten rebounds a game. It was one of the rare dips in the Cavs’ big man’s seemingly bottomless well of energy, and it wasn’t one that Lue intended to let continue.

Against the Pacers, Lue started Mozgov and brought Thompson off the bench. Mozgov played well, but Thompson responded with his best game in over a week. He scored 14 points, grabbed 11 rebounds (three on the offensive end), hit a crucial floater, the shot that abandoned him in Washington, and… oh, he also did this:

Good work by Coach Lue getting the team motor’s motor back running.

3.) While some of the Cavs are admittedly running a little hot-and-cold lately, Iman Shumpert looks like he forgot he left the hot taps on full blast and now has nothing but ice cold water sitting in reserve.

Back around the trade deadline, it seemed strange when Shumpert’s name was linked to trade conversations the Cavs were having. Then, rumors started trickling out that the Cavs weren’t pleased that Shumpert — who has a wide array of interests outside the game ranging from music, to the release of his personal clothing line, to… well, obstetrics — didn’t seem as focused on basketball as he was last year when he was acquired from the New York Knicks.

Ben Werth mentioned Shump’s icy ways — and how whatever physical or mental funk he’s in is also affecting his defense — in his recap of Monday’s win over the Pacers. I also pointed out one particularly putrid possession in my recap of the team’s road loss to the Wizards that later had me calling (if somewhat irrationally) for Shumpert to be benched in favor of newly-acquired Jordan McRae.

We’re very close to beating a dead horse here, but as even now, when I close my eyes I can see visions of Shumpert’s Iso-moves, maybe this will serve as my public Iso-Shump exorcism.

Keep in mind when watching this that it’s only half of the play. That’s right; this bad play lasted so long it couldn’t all fit on one Vine loop. He dribbled for about ten seconds before handing it off and (inexplicably) getting it back in order to go into this:

In fact, if I were Coach Lue, I’d institute a new rule: if your possession lasts longer than a Vine, you sit. Now, that’s how you get pace, baby!

4.) Speaking of McRae, the 6-6 former Tennessee Volunteer who the Cavs signed on Sunday to a 10-day contract, didn’t see the floor on Monday, but this D-League All-Star fits the type of 3-D player the Cavs were shopping for at the trade deadline.

Here was the scouting report on McRae heading into the 2014 NBA Draft (per Draft Express):

McRae’s intrigue at the next level starts with his combination of size and athleticism. Standing 6’5 in shoes with a 7’0 wingspan, the former consensus top-40 recruit has good size and length for the shooting guard position. A good, but not elite athlete with solid quickness and great leaping ability, McRae is certainly on the light side weighing just 178 pounds, one of the biggest hindrances he might face at the pro level, but he has the requisite athleticism common among NBA swingmen.

Even with Shumpert’s struggles, it’s tough to see McRae seeing much court time as this team rounds (or stumbles) into the stretch run. But, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to see this:

I’d like to suggest McRae’s nickname be “Drain” because he absolutely killed the Charge. Maybe my calls for McRae over Shump weren’t so irrational after all…