It was a romp of ridiculous proportions, the Cavaliers sinking all nine of their three-point attempts in the first quarter, and 19 in all, on their way to a 33-point victory against the Atlanta Hawks. While it was unreasonable to expect the shots to fall at that rate every night, the performance was still seen by some—including this writer—as an indicator of Cleveland's upside, when the Cavaliers guarded with gusto and passed with purpose.
But we know now that it wasn't a reliable sign of their superiority, since Atlanta just reversed the rout 34 days later, making 16 three-pointers, shooting 64.5 percent from the field overall, outscoring Cleveland by 37 in the final three quarters and winning by 29.
"That was embarrassing how we played," Cavaliers coach David Blatt told reporters after Wednesday's loss. "I apologize to all the good fans that came out here. Just a poor, poor performance."And yet, it should have been expected, and not just because the Cavaliers' defensive intensity has come and gone over the course of the season. This is what the East is. It's relatively even, at least in the top third.
This is why one personnel move could prove pivotal—especially if the Cavaliers come up with a wing defender (Minnesota's Corey Brewer is back on the radar, according to an ESPN.com report) or rim protector, or the Chicago Bulls or the Washington Wizards secure another shooter (Ray Allen, if he doesn't choose Cleveland or one of the other four or five teams interested), or the Toronto Raptors find an upgrade to Tyler Hansbrough as a backup big, or the Atlanta Hawks add some athleticism to accompany their unselfishness, versatility and shooting ability. Considering the injuries to the Miami Heat, Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, and the rebuilding postures of most of the rest, only five teams are truly in contention, all just about equally skilled and flawed, with their advantages and deficiencies in different areas. And so, every conclusion is forced. Just when you think one of the five—Cavaliers, Hawks, Bulls, Raptors, Wizards—is significantly ahead of another, it's proven premature.
And it's not only shown by the small number (five) of games that separates the first through fifth seeds; it's shown in the head-to-head matchups so far.
One night, one team gets to its game. The next time, the other does.
The Wizards dominated the Cavaliers on Nov. 21, with the 13-point margin hardly representative of the way John Wall whipped them.
Five nights later, Cleveland beat Washington by 26, with LeBron James recording 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists.
The Raptors, behind Lou Williams' explosion, won by 17 in Cleveland on Nov. 22.The Cavaliers, benefiting from DeMar DeRozan's absence, then topped Toronto twice in five days in early December, once in each team's arena.
The Bulls lost at home against Cleveland in overtime but won in Toronto by seven. The Wizards lost in Toronto by 19—but it would hardly be surprising to see Washington prevail the next time, on Jan. 31.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2303568-with-little-separation-atop-east-one-move-could-make-all-the-difference
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