CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Cavs enter tonight’s game against the Bulls tied with Golden State for the NBA lead in 3-pointers attempted per game at 43.9.
But their poor shooting efficiency -- 27th in the NBA at 33.8 percent -- raises serious questions about whether their current strategy is wasting the talents of their dominant big men, cleveland.com columnist Terry Pluto said on the latest “Terry’s Talkin’” podcast.
Pluto didn’t hold back in his assessment of these numbers.
“The thing is, if you’re leading the league in 3-pointers attempted, you’d better be in a top 10 percentage of makes,” Pluto said. “The last time I saw they were 24th. I think they’ve been at one point, 28th. That’s out of 30 teams. That’s ridiculous.”
The podcast discussion centered on how this strategy is particularly wasteful given the Cavaliers’ roster construction, featuring talented big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.
Pluto expressed his frustration watching Allen pass up high-percentage shots near the basket.
“Jarrett Allen drives me nuts when he’s like 4 feet from the basket,” Pluto said. “He shoots 70%. He throws it to a guy in the corner. But Evan started to do that too. Don’t do that. Score.”
The conversation referenced a letter from podcast listener “Max,” who mentioned NBA analyst Zach Lowe’s similar observations about the Cavs’ offense. He pointed out that two of the league’s top-rated offenses - Denver at No. 1 and Houston at No. 3 - take far fewer 3-point attempts. Denver is No. 22 in 3-point attempts; and Houston is dead last at 30th.
Pluto echoed Charles Barkley’s criticism of the modern NBA’s obsession with 3-point shooting: “Any fool could take any foolhardy shot from any fool where. And it’s just foolish, is what it is.”
Beyond the inefficiency, the podcast highlighted several practical problems with this approach.
When the Cavaliers miss these long-range shots, they create long rebounds that lead to transition opportunities for opponents. Additionally, the strategy fails to draw fouls or create second-chance opportunities that come from playing closer to the basket.
Pluto advocated for a more balanced offensive approach that would better utilize the talents of Allen and Mobley, while also incorporating the players who can get to the rim.
Instead of forcing Mobley to the perimeter, Pluto endorsed Cavs great Brad Daugherty’s advice -- that Mobley should make more use of the jump hook. Pluto said that will create better shots and more offensive rebounds.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
If you have a question or a topic you’d like to see included on the podcast, email it to sports@cleveland.com, and put “Terry’s Talkin’” in the subject line.
You can find previous podcasts below.