There was a time, not too long ago when the Cleveland Cavaliers were regarded as one of the deepest teams in the NBA. J.B. Bickerstaff was forced to use a 10-man rotation because that’s how many players were deserving of playing time.
That narrative is starting to reverse though. In the handful of games heading into the All-Star Break and the first couple of games back, that bench has shown to be a liability rather than a strength.
Feb 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports © Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
From the beginning of January through the middle of February, Cleveland’s bench was averaging 42.7 points per game and had the second-highest net rating (7.4) in the NBA.
In Cleveland’s last four games, the bench’s points production has neatly been cut in half. They’re only scoring 23.8 points per game and have +/- of -2.9 while the Cavaliers as a team have gone 1-3 in that stretch.
The two Cavaliers who have especially struggled are Caris LeVert and Georges Niang.
LeVert is averaging just 7.5 points and is shooting just 32% from the floor and 15% from behind the arc in his last six games. Niang hasn’t been too much better averaging 7.2 points while shooting 38% from behind the arc.
The Cavaliers need to figure out a way to get this group back on track because depth is one of the most important parts of a successful playoff team. Cleveland possesses this talent but just needs to get them all back playing at that high level.
News Related-
Russian court extends detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Gershkovich until end of January
-
Russian court extends detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges
-
Israel's economy recovered from previous wars with Hamas, but this one might go longer, hit harder
-
Stock market today: Asian shares mixed ahead of US consumer confidence and price data
-
EXCLUSIVE: ‘Sister Wives' star Christine Brown says her kids' happy marriages inspired her leave Kody Brown
-
NBA fans roast Clippers for losing to Nuggets without Jokic, Murray, Gordon
-
Panthers-Senators brawl ends in 10-minute penalty for all players on ice
-
CNBC Daily Open: Is record Black Friday sales spike a false dawn?
-
Freed Israeli hostage describes deteriorating conditions while being held by Hamas
-
High stakes and glitz mark the vote in Paris for the 2030 World Expo host
-
Biden’s unworkable nursing rule will harm seniors
-
Jalen Hurts: We did what we needed to do when it mattered the most
-
LeBron James takes NBA all-time minutes lead in career-worst loss
-
Vikings' Kevin O'Connell to evaluate Josh Dobbs, path forward at QB