Cleveland Cavaliers' Biggest X-Factors for Stretch Run

Playoff basketball is but weeks away as the Cleveland Cavaliers look to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. From now until the end of the regular season on April 13, Cleveland must become a well-oiled machine. Clinching the conference isn't enough; momentum also plays a huge role in postseason success.

This is certainly no time for Cleveland to take its collective foot off the gas, as teams need sparks from role players, spot starters and even end-of-the-rotation guys to help keep things fresh and clicking five months into the regular season.

LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving can only carry the Cavaliers so far. The rest may be up to these five factors.

Channing Frye's Outside Shooting

After taking some time to adjust to his new surroundings, Channing Frye has become a must-play in the Cavs rotation.

During the last three games, the 6'11" forward/center is averaging 14.3 points and 5.3 rebounds while knocking down 11 of his 17 three-point attempts—good for a scorching 64.7 percent. His ability to plug and play with any combination of lineups, allowing stars like James and Irving to drive and kick as needed, is exceedingly helpful.

"It’s not that complicated," Frye recently told Bleacher Report about his role. "I’ll go in there, play some D, shoot when I’m open and give guys space on the floor. They have more than enough superstars, and I think for me right now, I need to continue to get in a groove with the guys, be ready to play at any moment."

The Cavs are just 7-5 since trading for Frye, but he's been a key part of their past three wins. In their most recent game against the Utah Jazz, Frye was ejected following a scuffle with Trey Lyles, and the Cavs fell 94-85. Cleveland now relies on the 32-year-old's hot shooting to help carry it for stretches.

In the 10 games he's been active since arriving from the Orlando Magic, Frye is up to 50.0 percent shooting from the floor and 46.2 percent from deep. Cleveland is 3-0 when he connects on multiple three-pointers in a game.

"I’ve just got to be ready and have a good mindset," Frye said. "Bench guys can win a series. They make a big impact. I know that the big dogs have to eat, and I’m just going to help them when I can."

A Well-Rounded Iman Shumpert

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While Iman Shumpert continues to struggle offensively, one can't underestimate what he brings to the Cavs D.

"I mean, Shump is Shump," head coach Tyronn Lue said recently. "We always put him on a team’s best player, 1, 2 or 3. Every night he competes, and he guards those guys well."

This means Irving and James no longer have to take on a star wing opponent while Shumpert is sharing the court.

"He’s just awesome. He makes our job so much easier, saving our legs when he’s guarding the best player on the opposite team," Irving said. "When you have that versatility at the 2 position, or even the 3 position sometimes, it adds a great dynamic to our team."

Shump's value as an X-factor will come from a multitude of different angles, not just defensively. Teammate Tristan Thompson compared him to a "little Shawn Marion" when describing the ways he can impact a game.

In a 120-103 win over the Boston Celtics on March 5, for example, Shumpert grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds to go along with 12 points, four assists and two steals. While we won't see this kind of overall production from him on a nightly basis, it does serve as a blueprint for his capability.

"He has an incredible mindset," Irving said. "His mental makeup is unbelievable. From what I’ve seen and getting to know him, he’s an awesome teammate, and I know he’s been getting extra work in and doing what it takes for him to be better on the floor."

The next step must be an improved outside shot. While Shumpert's knocking down a solid (and career-best) 46.5 percent of jumpers from 16 feet out, his three-point accuracy has dipped to just 30.4 percent.

Still just 25 years old, the Cavs need consistent all-around contributions from Shumpert both now and during a title run.

Ball Movement

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Matthew Dellavedova

Hey, Cavs, passing is good!

Before the "Well, duh" comments come rolling in, consider the dramatic impact sharing the ball has had on Cleveland's success. When registering 19 assists or less in a game this season, the 47-19 Cavs are a mediocre 9-9. Get that thing flowing, however, and the results are much-improved.

Cleveland is a perfect 14-0 when collecting 27 or more assists rather than grinding out isolation possessions that take shooters out of rhythm. The Cavaliers average 301.7 total made passes in victories and 296.8 in defeats, per NBA.com.

This responsibility should fall more on Irving. Despite being the team's starting point guard, he ranks third in assists. His 4.6 dimes per game are a career low even while surrounded by an extremely talented offensive cast.

In the 11 losses Irving has taken part in, his assist numbers drop to just 3.9 per contest. In 29 wins, they jump to 4.8.

Need further proof that sharing the basketball helps? The Golden State Warriors lead the league in seven of 10 advanced passing measurements from the NBA's team-tracking SportVU technology.

Death to isolation. Move. The. Ball.

Ability to Go Small

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Adjusting to the NBA's new go-to style is something Cleveland has only recently committed to, for stretches. It has met mixed results.

A small lineup means James at power forward, with either Love or Thompson at center. Irving and a combination of J.R. Smith, Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova or Richard Jefferson likely rounds out the five.

For the record, Cleveland's best group this season has been James, Thompson, Dellavedova, Shumpert and Smith at plus-6.9 points per 100 possessions.

"We can play that way," Love said. "In some cases, I’ll play the 5, Tristan will play the 5, Mozzy will play the 5, and we’ll play Bron at the 4 and so on and so forth. It’s just taking advantages of mismatches on both sides of the ball and finding different ways to play against different lineups."

Unfortunately, this also provides the opponent with a significant advantage. Cleveland is forced to sit either Love or Thompson in a small-ball lineup and choose between the team's best low-post offensive option or its top pick-and-roll defender, respectively. Frye, now a key piece as a power forward or center, would be forced to sit as well.

If facing the Warriors, Love wouldn't see the court against Golden State's death lineup. With Draymond Green at center running the pick-and-roll alongside Stephen Curry, Love would get sucked out to the three-point line, leaving James as the team's best rim protector. Thompson is quick enough to switch back to the paint; Love is not.

Should Cleveland commit to going small more often, it needs to maximize a potentially lethal offensive attack in order to make up for any defensive misgivings.

"I think that aggressiveness with our small group, we’re able to get out in transition and able to run," Irving said.

"I think our offense coming into transition isn’t so random anymore. It’s flow offense with Bron setting screens or guys setting one to two pick-and-rolls, and we’re just playing the game. Having a lot of active cutters on the backside, and when you have that, guys are getting open shots. Us playing small ball is great."

The Cavaliers need to practice this style as much as possible now, should they inevitably find themselves in a Finals rematch with the Warriors come June.

A Rested LeBron

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No, LeBron isn't an X-factor.

Yes, his body is.

We witnessed last year what a run-down version of James looked like before he took eight games off in late December to early January. The resting of his then-30-year-old body was not just an added bonus, but rather necessary maintenance that allowed him to put up historic NBA Finals figures.

While Coach Lue made it known (earlier this year) he preferred to rest players after they had clinched the Eastern Conference, this just isn't the smart thing to do.

With four more back-to-back games remaining on the schedule, there's no sense in pushing James to win an extra contest or two in the regular season. Cleveland finished second last year to the Atlanta Hawks, then the Cavs promptly swept them in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Finding James some rest could be the Cavaliers' greatest X-factor of sorts, and it is something Lue is in constant contact about.

"Talking to the training staff, they’re pretty good at letting me know when guys have a couple knick-knack injuries or playing through some things," Lue told Bleacher Report when asked how he determines when to sit players. "If we’re in a situation where we can try to rest them, we will, and that goes for everyone."

While Lue noted he doesn't ask LeBron directly, the upcoming schedule and communication with James' personal trainer, Mike Mancias, should let him know when to sit his star.

If James isn't physically ready come playoff time, nothing else really matters.

Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @CavsGregBR.

All quotes obtained firsthand. Stats via Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise sourced and are current as of March 15 unless otherwise noted.