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I was looking at lineups that featured both Garland and Rubio on the floor together. That combination did incredibly well almost regardless of who the other three players were. Here are some numbers from cleaningtheglass.com. They show the +/- for each five-man unit per 100 possessions and then the number of possessions that unit was on the floor in parenthesis.
DG, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Allen +49.8 (52)
Subbing Osman for Marky didn't make any difference; both lineups dominated. Putting Garland, Rubio, Mobley, and Allen on the floor together was kryptonite for opponents.
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Davis 0.0 (72)
Even putting three non-shooters like Okoro, Wade and Davis out there didn't put the Garland/Rubio backcourt into negative territory.
DG, Rubio, Windler, Osman, Mobley +25.3 (47)
DG, Rubio, Stevens, Mobley, Love -19.5 (43)
I'm not sure why that last unit didn't work. Here are some strong units that included Love.
DG, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Love +39.4 (42)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Markkanen, Love +74.6 (29)
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Love, Allen +79.3 (29)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Love, Allen +31.0 (41)
DG, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Allen +43.6 (24)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Love +13.6 (72)
Here are the other two negative units:
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Love -12.1 (31)
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Mobley -14.3 (28)
Putting both Okoro and Wade out there with DG and Rubio didn't work.
In summary, there were 14 five-man units that included BOTH Garland and Rubio and had at least 24 possessions. Three were in the negative, two were neutral, one was mildly positive (+13.6), and eight were hugely positive (+25 and above).
The three negative units all included either Wade or Stevens, who normally aren't in the rotation when everyone is available. One of the neutral units (0.0) included Wade and Davis.
So for the most part the Cavs were extremely successful when Garland and Rubio were on the floor together. Totalling it up, the Cavs were +16.2 when Garland and Rubio were on the floor, which was in the top 1% in the league. The Cavs averaged 116.4 points per 100 possessions and allowed 100.2. Offensively that puts them in the 81st percentile and defensively the 99th. What surprised me was how great the Cavs were defensively - in the top 1%.
That +16.2 number is for 1,027 possessions, or about 10 full games.
The Cavs either need to sign Rubio (if they are confident he will make a full recovery by the end of December) or find somebody like him because it's clear that putting another playmaker on the floor with Darius is extremely effective.
By the way, the Garland/LeVert combination was a +7.0 in 568 possessions. The Garland/Sexton backcourt was a -1.9 in 309 possessions.
Comparing the effects of Rubio and Sexton with four starters on the floor, we have these lineups:
DG, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
DG, Sexton, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +2.1 (140 possessions)
Sexton and Rubio together was a -0.4 in 243 possessions. I can see why Cavs management is wondering whether the things Sexton does result in winning basketball.
The Garland/Okoro backcourt was a +9.0 in about 1,700 possessions. So Garland did well paired with either LeVert (+7.0) or Okoro (+9.0) but even better with Rubio (+16.2).
For all the talk of needing a 6'8" wing that can hit 3's and also score inside and play D (maybe one will fall out of a tree) the fact is the Cavs were killing it with DG and Rubio on the floor together with almost any combination of the guys we have now.
DG, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Allen +49.8 (52)
Subbing Osman for Marky didn't make any difference; both lineups dominated. Putting Garland, Rubio, Mobley, and Allen on the floor together was kryptonite for opponents.
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Davis 0.0 (72)
Even putting three non-shooters like Okoro, Wade and Davis out there didn't put the Garland/Rubio backcourt into negative territory.
DG, Rubio, Windler, Osman, Mobley +25.3 (47)
DG, Rubio, Stevens, Mobley, Love -19.5 (43)
I'm not sure why that last unit didn't work. Here are some strong units that included Love.
DG, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Love +39.4 (42)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Markkanen, Love +74.6 (29)
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Love, Allen +79.3 (29)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Love, Allen +31.0 (41)
DG, Rubio, Wade, Markkanen, Allen +43.6 (24)
DG, Rubio, Osman, Mobley, Love +13.6 (72)
Here are the other two negative units:
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Love -12.1 (31)
DG, Rubio, Okoro, Wade, Mobley -14.3 (28)
Putting both Okoro and Wade out there with DG and Rubio didn't work.
In summary, there were 14 five-man units that included BOTH Garland and Rubio and had at least 24 possessions. Three were in the negative, two were neutral, one was mildly positive (+13.6), and eight were hugely positive (+25 and above).
The three negative units all included either Wade or Stevens, who normally aren't in the rotation when everyone is available. One of the neutral units (0.0) included Wade and Davis.
So for the most part the Cavs were extremely successful when Garland and Rubio were on the floor together. Totalling it up, the Cavs were +16.2 when Garland and Rubio were on the floor, which was in the top 1% in the league. The Cavs averaged 116.4 points per 100 possessions and allowed 100.2. Offensively that puts them in the 81st percentile and defensively the 99th. What surprised me was how great the Cavs were defensively - in the top 1%.
That +16.2 number is for 1,027 possessions, or about 10 full games.
The Cavs either need to sign Rubio (if they are confident he will make a full recovery by the end of December) or find somebody like him because it's clear that putting another playmaker on the floor with Darius is extremely effective.
By the way, the Garland/LeVert combination was a +7.0 in 568 possessions. The Garland/Sexton backcourt was a -1.9 in 309 possessions.
Comparing the effects of Rubio and Sexton with four starters on the floor, we have these lineups:
DG, Rubio, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +52.4 (78 possessions)
DG, Sexton, Markkanen, Mobley, Allen +2.1 (140 possessions)
Sexton and Rubio together was a -0.4 in 243 possessions. I can see why Cavs management is wondering whether the things Sexton does result in winning basketball.
The Garland/Okoro backcourt was a +9.0 in about 1,700 possessions. So Garland did well paired with either LeVert (+7.0) or Okoro (+9.0) but even better with Rubio (+16.2).
For all the talk of needing a 6'8" wing that can hit 3's and also score inside and play D (maybe one will fall out of a tree) the fact is the Cavs were killing it with DG and Rubio on the floor together with almost any combination of the guys we have now.
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