7. Bench Scoring
There is no doubt the Cavaliers have players in their starting lineup who can put up big scoring numbers. James, Irving, and Love all have the potential to blow up on any given night. Where the Cavs will need to improve on however, is the scoring output they receive from the bench.
Last season, Cleveland had hoped that players such as Mike Miller and Shawn Marion would play vital roles as veterans coming off of the bench. For multiple reasons, this never panned out. Even as the Cavs’ depth depleted in the NBA Finals, these two rarely saw any critical minutes to contribute.
This needs to change, and the Cavs front office hopes to have addressed the issue by adding two proven scoring options in Williams and Richard Jefferson. Williams will begin the season as the starting point guard, but will transition to the primary backup once Irving returns from his knee surgery. Williams, a former All-Star himself, will be expected to build off of his strong 2014-15 stint in Charlotte where he averaged 17 points-per-game.
Jefferson joins Cleveland after some statistically disappointing seasons in Dallas and Golden State and will be asked to be the primary backup to James. It will be a huge boost to the Cavs’ possible playoff success if Jefferson proves to be a viable option. Ideally, Jefferson will be asked to play around 15Â minutes per game, giving James plenty of rest and relieving him of being forced to be the lone provider at the small forward position.
Next: Trust in Blatt
