Cleveland Cavaliers: Time for Cruise Control?

Though the Cavs suffered a blowout loss to Detroit Saturday night, they locked up a spot in the playoffs. At this point it’s all about what seed the Cavs will take.

Since being so far behind the Orlando Magic, the Cavs can take the third spot in the Eastern Conference off the radar. Many have said that the fourth spot is all but a lock, but that’s not necessarily a guarantee.

The Washington Wizards and the Toronto Raptors are the two teams jostling for position. Washington currently has the fifth spot but is not far ahead of Toronto. Washington is only two-and-a-half games behind the Cavs, yet only lead the Raptors by one game.

Both teams have fairly favorable schedules for April, especially if teams that are out of the playoff picture just lay down, while teams like Boston and Detroit might look to rest its starters. It is very possible that the Cavs can lose that fourth spot to either one of these teams.

So can the Cavs just put it on Cruise control? How important is home-court advantage for the Cavs, playing against either Toronto or Washington?

Since the huge 11-player trade in which they landed four new Cavaliers, the Cavs have been 1-7 on the road, losing to Chicago, Milwaukee and New Jersey, all teams out of the playoff picture.

One could say that the injuries to key players (Ilgauskas, Wallace, Pavlovic, Gibson and Varejao) and the time needed for the four new players to gel with the rest of the team has had a lot to do with these road woes.

Additionally, one of those losses came from a game against Washington. This was Caron Butler’s first game back from an injury and he played very well offensively.

On the bright side the Cavs are 9-1 at home since the trade, only losing a nail-biter to the red hot New Orleans Hornets led by Chris Paul. Cleveland blew out the Detroit Pistons on March 19.

The main difference between the road losses and the home wins is the Cavs overall energy as a team. At home the Cavs come out to play hard but they seem very lethargic on the road. So, it would be safe to say with only one month left to play, that it would be best for the Cavs to get home court advantage in the playoffs.

The Problem

The Cavs have an issue down the stretch of the season. LeBron James is averaging around 40 minutes per game and being depended on to close out games. One could say that LeBron himself could use a rest before the playoffs after seeing how he played against the Pistons in Detroit on Saturday. One could also be very encouraged by how well the Cavs played as a team against the 76ers the next day.

So how can the Cavs sustain and go into the playoffs with home court advantage while allowing LeBron to rest a little and also getting other players involved so the team can have the best post season run?

That’s easier said than done.

Mike Brown will have his hands full trying to find the right rotations and lineups. He still has to deal with the few lingering injuries of Ben Wallace (back) and Daniel Gibson (ankle-who left the game against Philly with ankle soreness). These are two players that must be healthy for the playoffs: Ben Wallace for his defense and Gibson for his shooting and ability to guard smaller/quicker point guards, especially if the Cavs face Toronto (Jose Calderon and TJ Ford).

Another very important player for the Cavs is Zydrunas Ilgauskas. He’s older and needs to rest—an injury or a lethargic Big-Z in the playoffs could really throw the Cavs off. Z is the second important player on this team behind LeBron.

The offense usually runs through Z to begin games and quarters. His ability to knock down open jump shots, grab and tap in offensive boards and alter shots with his height is more important than many may think. Zydrunas is also very good playing alongside Ben Wallace and Anderson Varejao. Z handles the offense while Wallace and Varejao can focus on defense and rebounding.

It’s safe to say that Ben and Anderson play better when paired with Z or Joe Smith versus playing together.

All of this, in addition to the Cavs not finding a rhythm with the newly-acquired players, have factored into the problem.

The Solution: Other Guys Must Step Up

Joe Smith, like Z, is a very good offensive option and hasn’t really been used properly. Joe Smith should be paired with either Varejao or Wallace and be used just like the Cavs use Z. Smith is a good rebounder, decent shot blocker and like Varejao has no problem giving up his body to take charges. His main strength is his ability to knock down jumpers and he has a pretty good post game. A consistent dosage of Joe Smith can keep the Cavs offense flowing and also help save Z down the stretch.

Another key to the Cavs' end of the season run will be the play of the guard positions. Delonte West is coming off a back injury that seemed minor but sidelined him for one game against Detroit. He came back the next day and had his best game as a Cav against the 76ers.

One knock on him after coming to Cleveland has been his lack of aggressiveness, but if he can play like he did against Philly, he’ll take a lot of weight off LeBron’s shoulders. The coaching staff has to look at his performance against Philly and nurture him to continue to play this way. He may not get 11 assists and three blocked shots every game but his aggressive play going into the playoffs will only help the Cavs advance in the postseason.

The Cavs have always had issues at the shooting guard/wingman position. Right now there’s a rotation of Sasha Pavlovic, Devin Brown, Damon Jones, Daniel Gibson and Wally Szczerbiak. Mike Brown must find the right guys to play in specific situations.

Thus far there’s been Sasha Pavlovic starting and Devin Brown coming in off the bench. Due to a foot injury to Sasha, Devin Brown started in his place against the 76ers. Devin Brown has played well either starting or coming off the bench. He’s played decent defense, shot the ball fairly well and brought a good level of energy to the floor.

Sometimes he makes untimely mistakes like leaving good shooters wide open or committing unforced turnovers. Overall he’s outplayed Sasha who has struggled with his shooting and recently has had issues defensively.

Unless Pavlovic can get back to playing the way he did before he got hurt earlier this season, a steady diet of a more controlled Devin Brown and less Sasha will be better for the Cavs as the season winds down.

Daniel Gibson needs minutes just to get back into game shape and get his legs under him. It’s a Catch-22 with Gibson because one could say that he needs his rest just as badly as LeBron and Z. Though he needs to be kept healthy, I think it’s better to give him minutes in order get him back to his old self.

The return of Gibson will take minutes away from Damon Jones but Jones is a veteran who has played very well in Gibson’s absence. Damon’s shooting will be needed in the postseason and he’s proved he can come into a game cold and still knock down clutch shots.

Wally Szczerbiak has struggled with his shot since coming to Cleveland. He has been very successful throughout his career at being a spot-up shooter. One thing I do see from Wally is intensity—he’s playing with emotion—happy when good plays are made but upset when there is problems.

I also like how Wally plays with his back to the basket. I think it would best to run plays for Wally in the post as a first option and then look for him to knock down jump shots later. Let him use his height to get off easier shots closer to the basket as well as draw fouls and get to the free-throw line. Keep Wally closer to the basket down the stretch and hopefully it pays off by Wally finding his shot come playoff time.

To conclude, down the stretch the play of the Cavs role guys will be crucial. Right now is no time to cruise. In the playoffs you know what you’ll get from LeBron, but other guys must step up and the best time to do so is now.

Guys other than LeBron and Z who have yet to really make a defined mark on the team can use the month of April to show Mike Brown how they can be best used in the playoffs.