As the Cleveland Cavaliers continue trying to find solutions that will work against the Golden StateWarriors, forward Iman Shumpert had a standout spell on the defensive end last night against the Warriors. But Shumpert played just 22 minutes and experienced cramping, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, and required intravenous fluids after the game. Will Shumpert moving into a starting role in Game 3?:
Shumpert had six points, four rebounds and three steals in 22 minutes off the bench, and despite shooting only 1-for-6 from the field, he was considered a bright spot in the loss because of his attack mentality and on-ball defense against Kevin Durant.
Even with the cramping, Shumpert’s play, coupled with JR Smith’s disappearing act in the series thus far, has the Cavs considering a lineup change at shooting guard for Game 3, the source said.
The Cavs’ coaching staff encouraged Smith to be more aggressive on the offensive end after a Game 1 loss in which he had just three points on 1-for-4 shooting in 28 minutes. But he was even less effective in Game 2. He finished with zero points on 0-for-2 shooting and four fouls in 14 minutes, netting a plus-minus of minus-18, tied with Tristan Thompson for worst on the team.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said the Cavs must improve their defense, above all else, to give themselves a chance in Game 3 on Wednesday.
“I think that having awareness, can’t relax, can’t fall asleep,” Lue said. “This team, their offense is constant movement, so you got to be locked in. You can’t take a peek somewhere else and lose your man. So they make you pay. And they have a lot of guys who are great passers, so you got to be alert at all times.”
