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The website cleaningtheglass.com lists the Cavs’ 5-man lineups used this season and how successful each was in terms of net +/-.
For example, the most used lineup (455 possessions) had a net of +10.2 points per 100 possessions, which breaks down to the offense scoring 116.7 and the defense allowing 106.5. The Cavaliers averaged 94 possessions per game.
The 455 possessions for the most used lineup was the 5th lowest in the NBA this season, which points up the number of injuries the Cavs had. Denver was the highest with 1,563 possessions for their most used unit.
The Cavs’ most used 5-man grouping was only on the floor about 6% of the time, or just under 3 minutes per game.
Here are the most successful lineups that had 100 possessions or more:
1. Garland, Okoro, Wade, Mobley, Allen +19.3 (218 possessions)
2. Garland, Stevens, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +13.5 (176)
3. Garland, LeVert, Okoro, Markkanen, Mobley +12.3 (169)
4. Garland, Okoro, Stevens, Markkanen, Mobley +11.4 (140)
5. Garland, Okoro, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +10.2 (455)
Obviously #5 was the normal starting lineup for most of the season, but it was only the 5th most effective unit. Simply by subbing Wade in for Markkanen gets you the #1 unit and an extra 9.1 points. That turned out to be the second most used grouping.
Subbing Stevens for Okoro in the normal starting unit (#5) gets us #2, which was 3.3 points better.
I was happy to see a lineup that included LeVert coming in third place. The lineup I wanted to see was Garland, LeVert, Mark, Mobley, Allen, but due to injuries to LeVert and then Allen we never got to see that unit until the play-in game against Atlanta. According to Chris Fedor, that unit played 24 minutes against the Hawks and was a +8.0. And that was with Allen clearly less than 100%.
The other lineup of interest was to me with respect to next year was Garland, Sexton, Mark, Mobley, and Allen, which registered a +2.1 for 140 possessions.
The only lineup in the negative with over 100 possessions was Garland, LeVert, Okoro, Markkanen, and Moses Brown at -18.6. The same lineup with Love in for Brown was +5.9. Brown did some impressive things but they did not result in a winning unit, in fact, quite the opposite.
The top lineups with fewer than 100 possessions were:
1. Garland, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
(This is the normal starting lineup with Rubio in for Okoro)
2. Garland, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Allen +49.8 (52 poss)
3. Garland, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Love +39.4 (42 poss)
4. Garland, Rubio, Osman, Love, Allen +31.0 (41 poss)
And in the under 30 really small sample category:
Garland, Rubio, Okoro, Love, Allen +79.3 (29 poss)
Garland, Rubio, Osman, Markkanen, Love +74.6 (29 poss)
What jumped out at me on these small sample units is the presence of Garland and Rubio in every one. When those two were on the floor together great things happened. Obviously the smaller the sample the less reliable because those lineups may have been in against easy opponents or second units, but the fact that Rubio was in all of the most effective small sample lineups points up how much his injury hurt the team.
Individually, Rubio was second to Garland in net on/off.
I have to believe the loss of Rubio was critical. The Cavs had won 11 of their last 14 when he got hurt. When games were close in the 4th quarter JBB put Garland and Rubio together and they often closed it out with a win. Osman in particular seemed to thrive when Garland and Rubio were in together, as evidenced by his presence in four of the top six small sample units.
The Cavs never adequately replaced Rubio. In the loss to the Hawks, for example, Rajon Rondo was a -18 in 15 minutes on the floor and the Cavs lost by 6.
This off-season Job One, IMO, is to find a veteran point guard that can back up Garland and keep the train rolling when he sits down. I don’t know if it could be Rubio himself; he was hurt at the end of December and the recovery period is usually a full year, if I’m not mistaken. Even then it’s unknown whether he will fully recover for the second half since he will be 32 in October and I believe this is the second ACL tear on that knee.
If not Rubio it has to be somebody. Collin Sexton? I don't know how the Cavs feel about that and whether they want him bouncing between the 1 and 2 every game or just focus on playing one position.
For example, the most used lineup (455 possessions) had a net of +10.2 points per 100 possessions, which breaks down to the offense scoring 116.7 and the defense allowing 106.5. The Cavaliers averaged 94 possessions per game.
The 455 possessions for the most used lineup was the 5th lowest in the NBA this season, which points up the number of injuries the Cavs had. Denver was the highest with 1,563 possessions for their most used unit.
The Cavs’ most used 5-man grouping was only on the floor about 6% of the time, or just under 3 minutes per game.
Here are the most successful lineups that had 100 possessions or more:
1. Garland, Okoro, Wade, Mobley, Allen +19.3 (218 possessions)
2. Garland, Stevens, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +13.5 (176)
3. Garland, LeVert, Okoro, Markkanen, Mobley +12.3 (169)
4. Garland, Okoro, Stevens, Markkanen, Mobley +11.4 (140)
5. Garland, Okoro, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +10.2 (455)
Obviously #5 was the normal starting lineup for most of the season, but it was only the 5th most effective unit. Simply by subbing Wade in for Markkanen gets you the #1 unit and an extra 9.1 points. That turned out to be the second most used grouping.
Subbing Stevens for Okoro in the normal starting unit (#5) gets us #2, which was 3.3 points better.
I was happy to see a lineup that included LeVert coming in third place. The lineup I wanted to see was Garland, LeVert, Mark, Mobley, Allen, but due to injuries to LeVert and then Allen we never got to see that unit until the play-in game against Atlanta. According to Chris Fedor, that unit played 24 minutes against the Hawks and was a +8.0. And that was with Allen clearly less than 100%.
The other lineup of interest was to me with respect to next year was Garland, Sexton, Mark, Mobley, and Allen, which registered a +2.1 for 140 possessions.
The only lineup in the negative with over 100 possessions was Garland, LeVert, Okoro, Markkanen, and Moses Brown at -18.6. The same lineup with Love in for Brown was +5.9. Brown did some impressive things but they did not result in a winning unit, in fact, quite the opposite.
The top lineups with fewer than 100 possessions were:
1. Garland, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
(This is the normal starting lineup with Rubio in for Okoro)
2. Garland, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Allen +49.8 (52 poss)
3. Garland, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Love +39.4 (42 poss)
4. Garland, Rubio, Osman, Love, Allen +31.0 (41 poss)
And in the under 30 really small sample category:
Garland, Rubio, Okoro, Love, Allen +79.3 (29 poss)
Garland, Rubio, Osman, Markkanen, Love +74.6 (29 poss)
What jumped out at me on these small sample units is the presence of Garland and Rubio in every one. When those two were on the floor together great things happened. Obviously the smaller the sample the less reliable because those lineups may have been in against easy opponents or second units, but the fact that Rubio was in all of the most effective small sample lineups points up how much his injury hurt the team.
Individually, Rubio was second to Garland in net on/off.
I have to believe the loss of Rubio was critical. The Cavs had won 11 of their last 14 when he got hurt. When games were close in the 4th quarter JBB put Garland and Rubio together and they often closed it out with a win. Osman in particular seemed to thrive when Garland and Rubio were in together, as evidenced by his presence in four of the top six small sample units.
The Cavs never adequately replaced Rubio. In the loss to the Hawks, for example, Rajon Rondo was a -18 in 15 minutes on the floor and the Cavs lost by 6.
This off-season Job One, IMO, is to find a veteran point guard that can back up Garland and keep the train rolling when he sits down. I don’t know if it could be Rubio himself; he was hurt at the end of December and the recovery period is usually a full year, if I’m not mistaken. Even then it’s unknown whether he will fully recover for the second half since he will be 32 in October and I believe this is the second ACL tear on that knee.
If not Rubio it has to be somebody. Collin Sexton? I don't know how the Cavs feel about that and whether they want him bouncing between the 1 and 2 every game or just focus on playing one position.
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(while acknowledging we did miss Wade! Great defender! But not our most important player...that was Rubio, then Garland/Mobley.)
