The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting their weekend with an NBA Cup game against the Indiana Pacers. They’ll have to win this one with authority if they want to keep their Cup chances alive.
NBA Cup Standings
Let’s get this out of the way.
The Cavs put themselves in a bind when they lost their opening game of the Group Stage to Toronto. It’s very difficult to win your group without going 4-0. The Raptors, as of writing, are a perfect 2-0. This means the Cavs not only need to win their last two games, but they need the Raptors to lose
twice, as well. This feels unlikely.
There is still hope, however. The Cavs can qualify for the knockout round if they manage to become the Eastern Conference’s wild card team. To do this, they need to have the highest point differential of any Eastern team. In other words, they need to beat the brakes off of their next two opponents: Indiana and Atlanta.
Cleveland has a +23 point differential through two games. That’s currently the best in the East if you’re looking at the teams who aren’t likely to win their group. The Orlando Magic are right behind them at +20.
Darius Garland and Jaylon Tyson
The Cavs have spent the entire season dealing with injuries. These constant setbacks have made it harder for them to establish an identity through 16 games. They just can’t get healthy soon enough.
Thankfully, we have some positive updates.
Darius Garland is questionable to return from a toe contusion and the Cavs are hopeful he’ll be able to play, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Jaylon Tyson is also trending towards a return after missing the previous three games with a concussion.
The Cavs won’t be all the way out of the woods. Max Strus is still recovering from an ankle injury and Sam Merrill is out with a hand sprain. But, if Garland and Tyson return, that would be worth celebrating.
Cavs three-point shooting
Now let’s finally talk some basketball.
You can point to a handful of reasons to feel concerned about the Cavs’ start to the season. For now, I want to focus on their three-point shooting, which has fallen off dramatically from last year.
Cleveland had the league’s best offense last season. Primarily because they couldn’t miss from deep. The Cavs ranked first in pull-up three-point shooting, third in ‘open’ three-point shots and fifth in catch-and-shoot jumpers. Overall, only the Boston Celtics finished with more threes than Cleveland last season.
Things have changed.
The Cavs are still attempting three-pointers. The most in the league, actually. But they’ve fallen to 18th in three-point percentage. Remember those stats from before? The Cavs have fallen to the bottom ten in ‘open’ three-point shooting and catch-and-shoot accuracy. As for pull-up shooting, they’ve dropped from first to 10th.
Having Garland back would help. But even if he doesn’t play, the Cavs will be hoping to get back on track and find their range against the Pacers.
