With Mo Williams injured again and Jamario Moon not performing well at small forward, the Cavaliers by default might have to employ a three-guard lineup more often.
View full sizeCavaliers coach Byron Scott, right, says guard Anthony Parker has a good understanding of the team's offensive and defensive philosophies.The good news is that the Cavaliers have done this before. Already, the veteran point guard has missed all but one preseason game because of injury and family issues, and then missed three regular season games while Scott cautiously protected the strained right groin Williams suffered just before the start of training camp.
Williams said after suffering the newest injury Wednesday night against New Jersey that he hoped to heal in time for Saturday's game against Indiana. But when Williams had the same injury to his other leg, he missed about three weeks of training camp.
Which brings the Cavaliers to the good news/bad news category. The good news is that Scott has come to rely on a three-guard rotation late in games, sticking with a combination of Daniel Gibson, Anthony Parker and Ramon Sessions to out-quick and out-hustle opponents with the Princeton offense. It worked in three straight victories, but faltered in the second of a back-to-back series with the Nets when Cleveland simply ran out of steam. Still, the Cavaliers have become versatile learning to play without Williams, and Scott likes Parker's play there, in particular.
"Anthony has a real, real good idea of what we're doing," Scott said. "He understands exactly what we're doing on both ends of the floor."
The bad news is that the three-guard lineup has almost become a necessity because starting small forward Jamario Moon is still struggling to find his role in the lineup and on the team.
View full sizeJamario Moon has been struggling in the Cavs' Princeton offense.Moon didn't exactly win the position convincingly, as neither Jawad Williams nor Joey Graham stepped up to swipe the role away. In eight starts, Moon's 40-percent shooting is the lowest of his career while his 28.1 minutes per game is the highest since he began playing in the NBA four years ago.
But more telling, according to 82games.com, he's minus-10.3 over those eight games, the second-worst plus-minus average on the team. That means that opponents have scored an average of 10.3 points more than the Cavaliers when he's on the floor.
Which, of course, means that defensively, where the Cavaliers count on Moon the most, he has been slipping hardest. And while Scott admits that Moon is still grappling to learn his system, he also maintains he's not ready to give up on the gregarious swingman.
"I'm getting what I want right now," Scott said. "I think there's going to come a time later in the season when I feel he fully understands everything we're doing and we'll be able to get more out of him. I think for the most part on the defensive end, he's been doing a pretty good job. Offensively, he's had shots he's just missing right now. [But] right now, I'm getting what I want."
More injuries: The Cavaliers were at full strength for one full game -- at New Jersey on Tuesday -- before injuries hit the team again. In addition to Williams' groin injury, Anderson Varejao suffered bruised ribs in Wednesday's game against the Nets. Varejao retreated to the locker room briefly in the first half, and returned wearing a compression shirt beneath his jersey. He still played 35 minutes, scoring eight points, but grabbing a season-low five rebounds in the loss.
Varejao will be re-evaluated after practice today.''
"I know anytime the ribs are a little bruised up, it affects your breathing a little," Scott said.
To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: jvalade@plaind.com, 216-999-4654