The Cleveland Cavaliers Case Study

Head coach Tyronn Lue, of the Cleveland Cavaliers, has tried all different types of things. Such as different starting lineups, mixed rotations, a ton of "did not plays" and “welcome-backs.” Anything that might change up the status quo for a contender quickly transitioning from a underachiever to deceiver.
This was a master class in mid-game letdowns. LeBron James put in 21 points during the first quarter alone, but the rest of the team only added 6. Led by Jaylen Brown's 14-point effort, Boston remained within four, basically laying LeBron's “herculean detonation” to waste.
The Cavaliers stayed true to their Jekyll and Hyde performance during Tuesday's Game 2 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Another new starting

lineup and another at-random rotation motivated another heap of questions and concerns.
A double-digit lead expanded into a 7-point edge at halftime. It became a 7-point deficit going into the fourth quarter, which then turned into a 15-point gap that ultimately set into a 107-94 loss and 2-0 series hole.
The Celtics did not just outplay them. They outhustled them. They targeted Korver in the post. They “freight-trained” their way to free basketballs and soft passes. They bobbed the ball around until the Cavaliers' rotations folded. On most plays, that didn't take much. Cleveland waited for rebounds to fall. Boston covered the ball, stealing tap outs and 2nd chance opportunities for the Cavs.
The Cavaliers committed 6 turnovers and 9 fouls in the 4th quarter. JR Smith aggravated their lazy defense with a dangerous blatant foul on Al Horford.