Now that the Cavaliers are back in Cleveland for a much-anticipated matchup against the Golden State Warriors, head coach Tyronn Lue looked back at the team’s five-game road trip. In that span, the Cavs were only able to beat the struggling Orlando Magic in a tight game. Their losses came against playoff teams, which is a bit concerning.
ClutchPoints’ Nikki Goel reports that coach Lue feels like shooting was the Cavs’ main issue during the road trip:
Lue is right. During their current three-game losing skid, the Cavs shot 41.7 percent from the field and a terrible 26.5 percent from behind the three-point arc. These numbers are well below their season averages as the Cavs have shot 47.1 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from three this season.
With shots usually falling for a Cavs team that ranks seventh in both field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage, they really suffered from missing looks they often make during this road trip. Lue knows their defense still has A long way to go, but expressed concern about the shot-making and going blank on so many looks can demoralize the players and start getting into their heads.
Now that they are back home to face the defending champions, the Cavs will really need their shooting back if they want to pull a win. The Warriors are a team with a good defense, but an even better offense. They lead the league in both field goal percentage and three-point shooting percentage with 51.0 and 38.9 percent in those categories, respectively. If the Cavs are able to match their shot-making, this could be a win that raises the team’s confidence big time.