Tyronn Lue stood alone, coach’s clipboard in hand, as the pregame pageantry was underway. Most coaches don’t hold their clipboard unless they’re in a huddle or drawing up a play. Tyronn Lue held the clipboard because he was nervous, “a little nervous” as he recalls, and holding the clipboard made him feel more natural. This is what Tyronn Lue brings to the Cavs: a coach rooted in the Xs and Os ready to make a change.
He wants to play faster. He wants to spread the floor. He wants Kyrie Irving and LeBron James to attack one-on-one in the open court, more pick and rolls earlier in possessions and elbow opportunities for Kevin Love.
In their first game with Lue at the helm there were already notable changes:
- The slowed-paced, walk-it-up Cleveland Cavaliers, actually ran the ball up the court after opponent’s makes
- LeBron grabbed rebounds and looked ahead for leak-out wings like J.R. Smith for fast break chances
- Kevin Love got more touches on the elbows and in the post
It’s a vision for the Cavs that resembles a concoction of Mike D’Antoni, John Calipari and the Golden State Warriors. But can it work?
This season, many teams tried to copy the Warriors. The Pelicans and Wizards found out the train-wreck it could become while teams like the Grizzles, Kings and Rockets are working their way back from the failed experiment. No one could do what the Warriors did better than they could. But the Cavs? Maybe they have a chance.
What has made the Warriors so dominate this year is their spread pick and roll. Stephen Curry hits Draymond Green off the pick and roll allowing Green to slash to the basket and deciding whether to slam it down or kick it out to 3-point shooters like Klay Thompson, Harrison Barnes or Andre Iguodala.
Curry is phenomenal in the pick and roll, Green is a great decision maker in the open court and they have three knock down shooters around the perimeter spreading the defense. This is the unguardable play in the NBA right now. Could any team do it better?
Well, let’s take the Cavs. Irving is a weapon off the pick and roll. Maybe not Stephen Curry level deadly, but it’s still a powerful weapon that needs to be guarded the same way. Then imagine Kevin Love, JR Smith and Dellavedova as the kick out 3-point options. How does this compare to the Warriors?
Klay 43% Dellavedova 43%
Barnes 40% Smith 39%
Iguodala 39% Love 37%
Perhaps a slight edge goes to the Warriors, especially if you look down the roster for 3-point shooters. But we haven’t added LeBron to the equation yet. LeBron James might be the only player more dangerous than Draymond Green in the open court. A four time league MVP, 11 time All-NBA selection and two time champion, attacking the rim leaving defenses to decide if they want to watch him dunk or watch someone else hit a three.
But the Warriors have the experience with the offense that will give them the ultimate edge. The Cavs might have the roster to do what the Warrior’s do better, but reaching that ceiling halfway into a season is an aberration. At this point, the Cavs will be playing catch up as well as catching their breath.
“I don’t think we’re in good enough shape,” Tyronn Lue said after the game. “I think we got tired. Bron came out early. Kyrie wanted to come out early. Kevin wanted to come out early. So I just don’t think we’re in good enough shape to play the style we want to play.”
It is hard to imagine an NBA team being out of shape. They play three to four games a week with practices sprinkled in. How could they possibly be out of shape?
Lue blamed the previous slow-paced nature of the team for their exhausted performance. But players asking to come out of a game because they’re tired points to a problem with substitutions more than fitness level. Lue played 10 guys against the Bulls; only eight of them played more than 7 minutes. His big three and JR Smith played well over 30 minutes.
On the other hand, looking at the Warriors, they rotate 12 different players into games who average 10 plus minute a game. Draymond Green leads the team with 35 minutes per game. In contrast, both LeBron and JR Smith logged more than 35 minutes against the Bulls.
The Cavs are not in the shape Lue hoped they would be, but it is unclear if any team in the NBA would be. In order to play fast you need a deep roster with an impeccable substitution rotation.
Tyronn Lue’s promotion fits with the copycat league the NBA has become. If you’re not doing what the champs are doing, you must be doing it wrong. Lue will make the Cavs more enjoyable to watch, but he has a long ways to go and they’re already out of breath.
