Report: Some Cavs players feel Blatt needs to expand rotation
The Golden State Warriors made a lineup adjustment that helped swing Game 4 of the NBA Finals in their favor. Is it time for the Cleveland Cavaliers to do the same?
The Cavs looked worn out in Game 4, especially in the fourth quarter, when they were outscored 27-12 and rolled over down the stretch. LeBron James admitted to being gassed by game's end, and Matthew Dellavedova has already had to spend a night in the hospital due to exhaustion and dehydration.
Head coach David Blatt has been running with a short rotation in the Finals - he played seven players in Game 4 before clearing his bench for garbage time - and for good reason: The Cavs are seriously shorthanded and don't have much in the way of viable reinforcements.
The players riding the pine, though, believe they can help, and feel Blatt needs to rely on them more.
From ESPN's Brian Windhorst:
With several players, James and Dellavedova especially, looking worn down from the demands in the playoffs, players have begun to privately grumble that Blatt needs to use his whole roster.
With Warriors coach Steve Kerr going to a perimeter-heavy offense with Andre Iguodala in for Andrew Bogut, the feel is Blatt could take another look at (Mike) Miller and perhaps give veteran Shawn Marion, who has yet to play in the series, a look. With the Warriors' depth on the wing, the Cavs ended up being stretched exceedingly thin.
Several sources said Marion, who already has announced he'll retire following the season, is especially itching to get a chance. He's recently been bothered by a calf injury and also dealt with a hip injury in the regular season but is healthy and able to go.
Perhaps the Cavs' deep reserves have been inspired by Warriors forward David Lee, who came in cold to make a huge impact in Game 3. The Warriors, desperate and out of options, unleashed Lee in that game after playing him eight total minutes over their previous six games. In the past two, he's combined to play 29, averaging 10 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists while registering a plus-15 rating.
James, who is averaging close to 46 minutes per game in the series said that, while it isn't up to him, scattering the minutes a little bit more for Sunday's Game 5 might do some good.
"That's the coach's decision if he decides he wants to go deeper in the bench," he said. "We haven't played many guys throughout this playoff run. I think it would help some of the guys that are playing some high minutes, for sure. Just give guys a couple minutes here, a couple minutes there. But I think the coaching staff will try to do what's best to help us be physically and mentally prepared for Sunday."