What's Going On With Cavaliers Bench?
There was a time, not too long ago when the Cleveland Cavaliers were regarded as one of the deepest teams in the NBA. J.B. Bickerstaff was forced to use a 10-man rotation because that's how many players were deserving of playing time.
That narrative is starting to reverse though. In the handful of games heading into the All-Star Break and the first couple of games back, that bench has shown to be a liability rather than a strength.
Feb 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) drives to the basket against Philadelphia 76ers guard Kelly Oubre Jr. (9) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
From the beginning of January through the middle of February, Cleveland's bench was averaging 42.7 points per game and had the second-highest net rating (7.4) in the NBA.
In Cleveland's last four games, the bench's points production has neatly been cut in half. They're only scoring 23.8 points per game and have +/- of -2.9 while the Cavaliers as a team have gone 1-3 in that stretch.
The two Cavaliers who have especially struggled are Caris LeVert and Georges Niang.
LeVert is averaging just 7.5 points and is shooting just 32% from the floor and 15% from behind the arc in his last six games. Niang hasn't been too much better averaging 7.2 points while shooting 38% from behind the arc.
The Cavaliers need to figure out a way to get this group back on track because depth is one of the most important parts of a successful playoff team. Cleveland possesses this talent but just needs to get them all back playing at that high level.
