David Blatt Could Make Lineup Change to Cleveland’s Starting Backcourt

Coming off the Cleveland Cavaliers’ worst loss of the season, team head coach David Blatt is reportedly looking at making a tweak in the starting lineup as the team will face a pair of tough back-to-back road tests this weekend in New Orleans and Miami.

Blatt didn’t mention the exact change he had in mind, but speculation from league sources that was reported in the Cleveland Plain Dealer indicates that if it does occur, it will happen in the team’s backcourt.

The expected change will likely be the insertion of Matthew Dellavedova into the starting five, with either Mo Williams or J.R. Smith then coming off the bench. That strategy is seen as preparing for when the currently rehabilitating duo of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert returns to the starting lineup.

The main reason for the potential change is supposedly due to the fact that a different approach to contain the opponent’s dribble penetration is needed.

Making an effort not to link the apparent change to the loss to Washington on Tuesday night, Blatt explained the thinking behind the proposed move:

“We may tinker with the lineup a little bit,” said Blatt. “It’s a possibility. Not because of the fact that we lost one game. I can tell you it has nothing to do with that. It’s just a matter of thinking about where we can gain an advantage and where we can prepare ourselves going forward.”

Irving and Shumpert could be ready to resume their starting roles sometime later this month, though their original time frame had them returning in January.

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