Tag Archives: Andre Drummond

Cavaliers lack of three-pointers is a problem

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are not taking nearly enough three-pointers and it is causing problems in the win-loss department.

If it was not already apparent it became clear as day Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers have a three-point problem. In their 121-99 loss to the Clippers, Cleveland only attempted 10 shots from deep and made 4. Meanwhile Los Angeles went 20-34 and completely obliterated the Cavs defense. Not only was Cleveland’s lack of three-point attempts disheartening to see, it is alarming that how much better Los Angeles is from deep.

The Cavaliers attempt (26.1) and make (9.3) the fewest three-pointers per game. When perusing the other teams at the bottom there is a common trait among most of those teams, they aren’t good. Outside of the Lakers and 76ers, most of these teams are middle of the road on a good day. Cleveland’s three-point percentage as a team is not bad, they convert 35.7% of their attempts from deep which is tied for 19th with Detroit in that area. Again, not great, but not terrible either. Although it is worth mentioning that the teams immediately above and below the Cavs attempt and make more three-pointers per game.

The Cavs have options, they just need to take them

Looking at Cleveland’s individual players and their respective performances from deep they have a few options that should be called upon for a few more per game. Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Taurean Prince all convert above 40% from three. Larry Nance Jr. and Dylan Winder both make around 38% shots from deep and Cedi Osman’s 37% isn’t completely terrible. The fact that Osman attempts the most threes per game (6.3) is a massive problem. Sexton leads the Cavs in 3PT% yet attempts 3.7 per game. Garland and Prince attempt the same amount of threes (4.1), registering second and third respectively for Cleveland.

While there is somewhat of a focus on playing with big men for Cleveland, they need their best shooters to take more threes. Cleveland currently has zero active big men who can shoot from deep and that causes somewhat of an issue offensively. The potential return of Kevin Love would help in that area, but the fact of the matter is rostering bigs who are not able to shoot from deep has caused some issues. Love can help unlock their offense a little bit while still playing Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen big minutes. If they can find a way to mesh the playing styles of these three players they might be able to make games like Wednesday night not become a recurring theme.

Cavaliers struggle in second half, lose 121-99 to L.A.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were outscored 69-50 in the second half as the Los Angeles Clippers ran away with a 22-point win.

Things appeared to be going fairly well in the first half for the Cleveland Cavaliers Wednesday night. Cleveland was only down 3 points going into the half against a superior Clippers team on the second half of a back-to-back. There was hope that the Cavs could pull off the upset and get back to .500 on the season. Once the second half began it was a different story. The Clippers extended their lead to double-digits and stayed at or above that number for the remainder of the half. As the 4th quarter progressed the lead only grew to 20+ and the final score read 121-99.

Besides a shockingly low amount of three-pointers taken (10), there was not an area Cavaliers clearly struggled in. Cleveland made 44.6% of their field goal attempts, had double the amount of steals (8-4), half the turnovers (8-16), and had 22 more points in the paint than the Clippers (58-36). What this came down to yet again for the Cavs is three-point shooting. Los Angeles went 20-34 from deep while Cleveland was 4-10, completely erasing any advantage that the Cavaliers had down low. This game should be a wake up call for their offensive strategy as playing like the three-point line doesn’t exist simply isn’t getting it done.

Collin Sexton led the Cavs scoring effort with 27 points on 11 of 21 from the field. Sexton made his only three-point attempt and all four shots from the free throw line. Darius Garland added 23 points of his own on a 11-18 shooting night, also making his only attempt from deep. Andre Drummond was the only other Cavs player to crack the 10 point scoring mark, finishing with 13 points on a lackluster 4-13 shooting effort. Cedi Osman also added 9 points while Jarrett Allen and Lamar Stevens both had 7 points each.

Things will not get any easier for the Cavaliers as they will host the Milwaukee Bucks Friday.

Cavaliers stumble in second half, lose 109-104

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The Cleveland Cavaliers were outscored in the second half by 11 points as they lost the first of two matchups with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Things were looking good through the first two quarters for the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night. The Cavs held a 61-55 lead going into the half and looked like they were somewhat in control. Unfortunately the second half was not friendly as they were outscored 54-43 in the final two quarters and ended up losing by a score of 109-104.

As per usual, the Cavaliers dominated points in the paint 72-42. More often than not that leads to a Cleveland victory, but that was not the case Sunday. Minnesota was able to use a different scoring strategy to come out on top, the three ball. Cleveland only took 16 three-pointers in the contest and made four. Meanwhile, Minnesota made 16 of 40 shots from deep and that was what propelled the Timberwolves to victory. The three-point assault was the difference in the game and played a massive role in the final score.

Andre Drumomond leads Cavs in point and rebounds

It was the third 20-20 effort for Andre Drummond this season. The Cavaliers big man scored 25 points on 9-18 from the field and made 7 of 10 free throws. Drummond’s 22 rebounds were a game-high.

Larry Nance Jr. second in rebounds

The Cavaliers also had another impressive rebounding effort on Sunday and that came from Larry Nance Jr. Nance grabbed 16 rebounds, a season-high. As far as scoring goes, Nance really did not contribute as he made 1 of 3 field goal attempts and finished with 2 points.

SexLand still getting back on track

Darius Garland and Collin Sexton did score 17 and 16 points respectively, however they only made on three-pointer on four attempts. Sexton went 8-16 (0-1 3PT) and Garland was 6-14 (1-3 3PT) in the contest. The duo did combine for 7 assists, 5 of which are credited to Garland. SexLand is still getting back on track after both missed time due to injury.

Isaac Okoro ties career-high

The Cavaliers rookie had a solid all-around performance and tied his career-high with 13 points. Okoro also had 4 assists and 2 rebounds in 32 minutes.

Jarrett Allen leads bench scoring

While he is not the most proficient scoring threat off the bench for the Cavaliers, Jarrett Allen can be a consistent source of scoring if needed. Allen was 4-5 from the field and made both free throws totaling 10 points in the contest. Allen also led the bench in rebounds with 5.

The Cavaliers will get a second shot at the Timberwolves Monday night at home.

Cavaliers look to bounce back in Minnesota

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The Cleveland Cavaliers will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first to back-to-back matchups on consecutive nights.

One thing is for certain about Sunday night’s matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Cleveland Cavaliers want a better performance. Cleveland struggled in their loss to the New York Knicks on Friday and the Cavs desperately need a bounce back performance.

The Cavaliers ended up losing to a Knicks team that is better than their record shows and combined with their off night led to a blowout loss. Only three Cavs had 10 or more points, Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. The double-double machine that is Andre Drummond was held to 4 points on 2 of 7 shooting and was a non-factor on offense. Cleveland is going to need a turnaround from Drummond while SexLand does their usual thing.

The Cavs will have something tough competition from a Timberwolves team that is looking to get out of the basemetn of the Western Conference. At 4-14 their record is not impressive, but that does not mean they are not capable of pulling out a win. The Timberwolves are without Karl-Anthony Towns which will only make things more difficult for Minnesota. Towns is their leading scorer (22 PPG), and rebounder (8.5 RPG) while being third in assists (4.3). As far as active leaders go, D’Angelo Russell leads in scoring with 20.1 PPG, Ed Davis is their top rebounder with 5.6 RPG, and Ricky Rubio leads with 5.7 assists per game.

Cleveland will have two chances against Minnesota on back-to-back nights as they also face them at home on Monday. The Cavaliers have a legitimate chance to get back over the .500 mark by the end of both matchups and they cannot take this opportunity for granted.

Both games will start at 8:00 P.M. on Sunday and Monday.

Cavaliers to face Knicks in New York

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The Cleveland Cavaliers take on the New York Knicks for the third time this season, winning 106-103 in their previous matchup.

After a comfortable 122-107 win over the Detroit Pistons Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers head out on the road to take on the New York Knicks. The Cavaliers faced the Knicks back in Cleveland earlier this month and came a way with a three-point win. Andre Drummond was the star of that game as he finished with 33 points and 23 rebounds. This game will be a bit different considering that SexLand is back and their additions via trade.

One half of SexLand made his return to the staring lineup in Wednesday’s win, that being Darius Garland. Garland had 14 points, 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals as he help the Cavaliers get back into the win column. The second year guard is the Cavs leader in assists per game with 5.2. The other half of Sexland, Collin Sexton, is currently the teams scoring leader with 25.2 points per game. Cleveland’s rebound leader is Andre Drummond with 14.7 per game and is second in scoring with 18.9.

Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince have been great additions to the Cavaliers lineup as they now have quality depth. Allen averages 11.8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game while Prince averages 12.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

The Knicks leader in points, rebounds, and assists is the same person, Julius Randle. Randle averages 22.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. Last time out Randle and 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists against the Cavaliers. Cleveland will need to do their best to force others to make plays for the Knicks.

The game is scheduled to start at 7:30 P.M.

Cavaliers back to .500 with win over Pistons

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The Cleveland Cavaliers are now 9-9 on the season with their comfortable 122-107 win over the visiting Detroit Pistons.

After two straight losses the Cleveland Cavaliers are back to .500 on the season. The Detroit Pistons came to town and they were just the matchup the Cavs needed after facing the Celtics and Lakers in their previous two contests.

The first half was pretty much even as Detroit held a two-point lead going into halftime. It was the second half which yielded better results for the Cavaliers. Cleveland outscored Detroit 68-51 over the final two quarters and that led to the Cavs 15-point victory.

The Cavaliers led in three key areas, field goal percentage (54%-45.4%), steals (14-7), and points in the paint (66-46). These are the three areas where Cleveland wins games if they hold the edge and that is what happened Wednesday night.

SexLand returns to the starting lineup

Darius Garland has been back for a few games, but it was in a bench role. Wednesday night Garland was able to rejoin running mate Collin Sexton in the starting lineup. SexLand appears to be a more formidable duo than most could have imagined. The Cavaliers starting backcourt is what drives the offense, whether through scoring or playmaking.

Sexton scored a game-high 29 points on 10-14 shooting (1-1 3PT) and made 8 of 10 free throws. Sexton had a good all around performance as he finished with 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.

Garland chipped in 14 points on 6 of 11 from the field including making both three-point attempts. Garland also had 4 assists, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Andre Drumond shines against former team

Aside from the some questionable shot attempts and an uninspiring shooting percentage, Andre Drummond had an impressive performance against his former team. Drummond finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds (6 offensive), 5 steals, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. Again, the only critical area is his 9-24 shooting from the field. Luckily it did not cost the Cavaliers the game.

Former Nets are proving crucial to success

The Cavaliers acquisitions of Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince need a lot more buzz. Allen has been a spectacular player off the bench while Prince has rediscovered his shooting stroke. The duo combined for 26 points off the bench Wednesday with Prince grabbing 7 rebounds and assisting on 5 other baskets. Both Allen and Prince had 2 blocks each.

The Cavs return to action Friday against the Knicks in New York at 7:30 P.M.

Cavs should not buy out Andre Drummond

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Speculation and rumors are running rampant about the the Cleveland Cavaliers and a possible buyout.

Death, taxes, and people trying to get players out of Cleveland. This is something that always seems to happen with a player who plays for one of the teams in town and people having desires to see them elsewhere. This repetitive logic has reemerged in the form of Andre Drummond and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Zach Harper of The Athletic posted about potential buyout candidates and included Drummond on his list. Here is Harper’s reasoning.

Drummond is the most intriguing player on this list outside of maybe Derrick Rose. A couple of league sources mentioned after the Harden trade to Brooklyn that it’s a matter of time before he finds his way into a buyout and joins up to give them help with the interior. Drummond is a difficult player to figure out because of how he wants to fit. He’s obviously better than the Kendrick Perkins option the Thunder once had, but Drummond does require you to waste possessions throughout a game throwing it to him in the post. If you can get Drummond to run the floor, catch lobs, set screens, rebound the hell out of the ball and play defense, he’s a great option for someone like the Nets.

Harper would later add the fowling about a fit with Brooklyn.

However, if he wants to be hyper-involved as a scoring option on a team with KD, Kyrie and Harden, then that’s going to be a problem. He’s better than Jordan at this point, but how much better when you consider how he’ll want to be used? The idea of him in Boston is intriguing, but I’d be shocked if Danny Ainge decided to take that gamble. He doesn’t fit in Milwaukee. Maybe the Clippers would try him in the mix, but those seem like the only options.

At the end of the day it comes down to how does this type of move benefit Cleveland? It doesn’t. A better buyout candidate is JaVale McGee, which is a suggestion made later in Harper’s post. Once McGee is traded or bought out it would clear of the logjam for the Cavs. Well that and potentially moving Kevin Love at some point.

Cavaliers fight hard, fall short vs. Lakers

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The Cleveland Cavaliers put up a tough fight but were just no match for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Absolutely no one will fault the Cleveland Cavaliers and the effort they put forth in their 115-108 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers Monday. Cleveland refused to give up and fought all the way to the end, but were just not able to put together enough to come out victorious.

There were a few times early that is looked like a repeat of Sunday night’s dismal performance could be in the cards, but that was not the case. Instead of rolling over and accepting this loss, the Cavs rallied and pushed the Lakers to the edge. Ultimately, LeBron James was the difference for Los Angeles as he dropped a casual 46 points on the Cavs.

Big game ‘Dre

Andre Drummond led the Cavaliers in points and rebounds with 25 and 17 respectively. Drummond putting together games like this is essentially the expectation this season. The Cavaliers big man has been a consistent source of scoring and rebounding that has made an impact for Cleveland so far this season.

Streaky Cedi

If there is one thing that everyone knows about Cedi Osman is that he is streaky. There are times where Cedi can be red hot and others where he is ice cold, tonight was the former. Osman made 5 of 7 three-point attempts and was instrumental early in the 3rd quarter when the Cavaliers cut into and eventually took the lead. Osman was Cleveland’s second-highest scorer with 20 points.

Spotty Sexton

As per usual, Collin Sexton made some incredible plays and drained a couple three-pointers. The only issue is that this was a volume shooting effort as Sexton went 6-17 from the field. This was tied for Sexton’s worst shooting performance this season which was a loss against the New York Knicks in December. Things should look up for Sexton once his running mate returns to the starting lineup.

Garland rounding into form

This was expected to be the last game that Darius Garland comes off the bench while working back from injury. Garland played 26 minutes and was impressive in his limited minutes. The other half of SexLand finished with 11 points on 5 of 10 shooting and 5 assists. Once Garland is reincorporated back into starting lineup it should make a huge difference for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers will look to snap their two-game losing streak when they take on the Detroit Pistons Wednesday at 7:00 P.M.

Cavaliers top Nets for second straight game

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The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 125-113.

It was the second of back-to-back games against the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers came out on top yet again. Cleveland won in double-overtime on Wednesday and were able to win this game in regulation. The Nets were without Kevin Durant for this matchup while the Cavs were the healthiest they’ve been in quite some time.

There is on particular area where Cleveland absolutely dominated Brooklyn, points in the paint. The Cavs were able to score 70 in the paint while the Nets scored 46. That is a huge differential and without a doubt led to the Cavaliers victory.

Return of SexLand

While Collin Sexton led the Cavs scoring effort in back-to-back games, (including a career-high 42 on Wednesday), it was the return of Darius Garland which brought some excitement. The Cavaliers backcourt duo better known as SexLand is back in effect and that is very exciting. Sexton set a team record with his 10th straight game with 20 or more points to begin a season.

Meanwhile Garland was able to come back in a limited capacity and show some chemistry with the recently acquired Jarrett Allen. Garland scored 11 points and assisted on 3 baskets in his minutes restricted return.

Allen and Prince step up

Jarrett Allen scored 19 points and grabbed 6 rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench. Allen was able to click with the aforementioned Darius Garland and could be formidable combination moving forward. It seems like any growing pains with the new arrivals may be short lived and possibility non-existent.

Taurean Prince had himself quite the night against his former team finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 22 minutes. Prince made 3 of 5 shots from the field (2-3 3PT) and made all six free throw attempts. Originally considered a throw-in or afterthought in the grand scheme of the trade, Prince could be a nice piece of the bench moving forward.

Larry Nance Jr. continues to shine

The breakout continues, Larry Nance Jr. has made the transformation from fan favorite hometown hero who comes off the bench to legitimate starter for the Cavaliers. Nance makes an impact in so many facets of the game that he is becoming a better player than anyone could have imagined. The NBA leader in deflections in steals had a double-double with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 1 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Currently this is great to see, but a conversation will be necessary once Kevin Love returns.

A new double-double streak for Andre Drummond?

Andre Drummond saw his double-double streak come to an end last time out, but is getting started on a new one. The Cavaliers starting center scored 19 points and corralled 16 boards en route to his 13th double-double of the season. It really seems like if Drummond is going so are the Cavs. Cleveland has an interesting dynamic at the center position and should consider keeping them together rather than splitting them apart.

The return of Dylan Windler

Dylan Windler made his long awaited return and was fairly impressive in 16 minutes off the bench. Windler made both of his three-point attempts, finishing with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assists, and 1 steal. With the team moving on from Kevin Porter Jr., Windler becomes a much more important piece for Cleveland. It seems like after a couple of false starts that Windler has the ability to be a productive player for the Cavaliers.

Cleveland has a chance to go two games above .500 Sunday night in Boston.

Cavaliers should keep both Drummond and Allen

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The Cleveland Cavaliers should keep both centers as they look to build their foundation for the future.

Let’s get weird. The Cleveland Cavaliers should zig while everyone else zags in regards to their big men. Instead of looking to keep only one of their centers, they should retain both Andre Drummond and Jarrett Allen, and in turn cornering the market on a rare style of center. That style being one that is not a consistent or even a legitimate threat outside of the paint.

Looking at how teams are building currently this certainly defies convention and might not make much sense in the moment. This current moment in time is not what the focus should be, it should be the future. Just about every team has devalued centers like Drummond and Allen which could make this strategy a bit more feasible. The open market may not be kind which could allow the Cavs to pursue this currently unconventional roster construction.

For teams like the Cavaliers they need to find ways to get an advantage in any way possible. This means when they find one they need to exploit it endlessly. What advantage could that be? Centers that other teams do not appear to value. The Cavs could pair Drummond and Allen as their starting and backup centers resulting in a younger and perhaps better version of what they trotted last season with Drummond and Tristan Thompson.

Will this be the most aesthetically pleasing brand of basketball? Probably not, but caring about that is not something that should be under consideration. Cleveland needs to find any sort of way to get a leg up on the competition and going in the opposite way of the pendulum swing that favors small ball could be just that. Get out ahead of the pendulum swinging back in the other direction and be ahead of everyone else while they try to catch up.