Recap: Cavs 112, Grizzlies 89 (Or, Off And Running!)

One night after a loss at home against the Washington Wizards in which they seemingly couldn’t buy an outside shot in the second half, the Cleveland Cavaliers traveled to Memphis to take on the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies came into the game on a seven-game losing streak, and were 0-for-February. The Cavs had shown much improved energy since revamping their roster at the trade deadline, but a brand new rotation, combined with nine days off for the All-Star Break, meant they would need some time to truly find their rhythm as a team.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzKvdygmxKI

First Quarter

Early on, the game seemed like a continuation of the night before, with LeBron James the only Cavalier capable of doing anything on offense and with communication issues causing problems on both ends of the court. Memphis took an early lead off of several Cavalier turnovers that led to finishes at the rim for the Grizz. The Cavaliers weren’t lacking energy, but appeared to be unsure of where they, or their teammates, should be. Tristan Thompson struggled tremendously, turning the ball over on offense and getting torched by Marc Gasol on the other end. George Hill continued to struggle with his shot early on, but stayed aggressive, and was able to get to the line and finish at the basket off some passes from LeBron.

The Cavaliers had a short burst of energy when Larry Nance Jr. and Jordan Clarkson entered for Thompson and JR Smith, but the sloppy fouls and turnovers continued, and they couldn’t quite close the gap on the Grizzlies. The Cavaliers went 0-for-6 from three, and six turnovers in the first quarter allowed the Grizzlies to take a 27-20 lead

Second Quarter

The game began to lose its flow with a brick-fest by both teams to start the second. Clarkson soon went back to the locker room to get stitches after he was elbowed in the eye by Andrew Harrison. Of course, Clarkson was the one called for a foul on the play. A pair of lobs from LeBron to Nance seemed to energize the Cavaliers at they began to cut into the Grizzlies’ lead. James followed that up with a monstrous dunk of his own, and the Cavaliers seemed to capture all of the momentum. Then this happened.

https://twitter.com/joevardon/status/967214731479212033

To their credit, the Cavaliers kept up the attack, which they wouldn’t have done in January. The continued to move the ball well, and Rodney Hood canned a pair of threes on his way to ten points for the quarter. A three by Hill off some beautiful ball movement tied the game at 49. The half ended with a 10-0 Cavalier run as they took a 54-49 lead.

Third Quarter

Anyone who enjoys the flow of good basketball should never watch the second half of this game. After LeBron destroyed the rim off a no-look pass from Smith, Tyreke Evans and Marc Gasol countered by scoring 11 straight points, and the Grizzlies retook the lead. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers continued to struggle with finding a flow on offense. Some of this was their lack of familiarity with one another, but the officials also became whistle-obsessed, constantly stopping the game and putting both teams in the bonus with 7:53 left in the quarter.

When not at the line, the Cavaliers were at their best when forcing turnovers, which allowed them to get out in transition and finish at the basket. Tristan Thompson rebounded from a dreadful first half to play some solid defense on Marc Gasol, the Cavs continued to move the ball, and a pair of threes by Cedi Osman helped Cleveland extend their lead. Jordan Clarkson returned, and with James setting him up, hit a pair of corner threes to give the Cavs their first double digit lead of the season. A dunk by James punctuated a quarter that the officials seemingly made last an eternity, and the Cavs led 85-71 heading into the final frame. During this quarter, I also put both my kids through college and retired to Florida.

Fourth Quarter

The officials continued to make this game about them in the fourth with constant whistles at both ends. Of course, both teams took advantage, attacking the basket armed with the knowledge that they would either score, get to the line, or get another step closer to the bonus. The lack of offense from the Grizzlies allowed the Cavaliers to keep their lead at double digits, and if Koby Altman thought he had seen a death march before, this game was giving that term a whole new meaning. Despite the whistle-fest, the Cavaliers were able to get out and run in transition, and what was a close game late in the third quarter became a blowout in which they led by as many as 26 points. Mercifully, it came to an end, as the Cavaliers prevailed 112-89 in a victory that was as impressive as it was ugly to watch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA-pFPCFb3M

Things I Noticed

All four of the new Cavaliers scored in double digits while playing solid defense. Koby Altman is looking good right now.

Kyle Korver is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. Someone on the team besides LeBron James should pass him the ball.

I’m a Tristan Thompson defender. This season, I feel at though TT has been the most divisive player on the team in terms of opinion of his play. For a fanbase that still laments the loss of Matthew Dellavedova and pines for an injury-prone Nerlens Noel, we can all be overly critical of the Cavaliers’ longest tenured player. Yes, Thompson struggled during the first half of the season. He was also dealing with significant injuries. A strained calf is no joke. Depending on the severity, it’s very easy for the Achilles to become involved, and months can go by before a person can even run, let alone play basketball at the highest level. Despite his struggles, Thompson is still the same guy who set a franchise record for consecutive games played, and was a huge contributor to the Finals runs in 2015 and 2016. He’s also been playing much better lately. Yes, he struggled tremendously in the first half against the Grizzlies, but he also came back in the second half to play some really solid defense on Marc Gasol. The guy doesn’t quit. I’ll be the first to agree that Larry Nance Jr. is the better player, but he seems to be a bit foul-prone since joining the team, and Thompson seems to be a bit more comfortable banging down low than Nance does. He still has an important role with this team.

Jordan Clarkson’s shot selection is absurd. Hot or cold, guys should be able to tell the difference between a good shot and a bad shot, and Clarkson takes a lot of bad ones. In the first half, Clarkson took some terrible off-balance contested shots that missed terribly. In the second half, Clarkson either pushed to get to the rim in transition or spaced the floor by hitting corner threes off assists from LeBron James. While Clarkson does have some ability to create his own shot for the second unit, he may be better off playing alongside James, who can control his shot selection for him.

There’s been a rumbling among both the fans and media to have Nance and Rodney Hood start over Tristan Thompson and JR Smith. It’s fair, as there’s little doubt that Nance and Hood are the better players. Still, doing so may weaken the bench to the point where it once again becomes the liability it has been the past few seasons. Considering that Thompson and Smith played the fewest minutes of any of the rotation players tonight, the current setup may be the best way to maximize the effectiveness of the rotation with Kevin Love out.

The Cavs are obviously still trying to figure each other out post-trade, but you can see the offensive potential this team has. The additional athleticism allowed the Cavaliers to score 23 points off Memphis turnovers, something that never happened before Altman overhauled the roster. The fact that the Cavaliers also improved their perimeter shooting and ball handling makes this team a threat in ways in simply wasn’t before. When Love returns, and the players have had enough time together to become comfortable on the court, this offense will be a sight to see.

The Cavaliers are back in action this Sunday against the San Antonio Spurs. Even without Kawhi Leonard, the Spurs are a very good team that always plays hard and executes at a high level. Considering the Cavaliers are still working on their execution as a team, this should be a real test for them. We’ll see you then.