Just a week ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost the first seed for the first time and the head coach Tyronn Lue considered resting his superstars for the remainder of the season. Lue didn't want to risk his players' health and he wanted them to be rested and ready for the postseason. However, he's had a change of heart recently and he will not rest his superstar players until the Cavaliers seal the first seed. “If we can take care of business like we’re supposed to, I’d definitely like to get Kyrie and LeBron some more rest,” said the head coach.
There are three more games left on the Cavaliers' schedule and they have a one-game advantage over the second-seeded Boston Celtics. Cleveland lost an easy game against the Atlanta Hawks last night, and they will have to beat them tomorrow if they want to keep the first seed. Fortunately for the Cavs, they have a tiebreaker over the Celtics, which means they will finish first in the conference if they end up with the same record as Boston.
Tyronn Lue's plan has its price
In order to chase the first seed and secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers need their superstars, especially LeBron James. Coach Tyronn Lue knows it, and that's why he decided to keep pushing his superstars to their limits.
James played 41 minutes last night and even though he had a great game, it wasn't a smart choice to let him play that much as it could be too costly in the long run. The four-time MVP is averaging 37.6 minutes per game this season, and he ranks second among all players in this category.
Furthermore, coach Lue's plan has already backfired as Kyrie Irving suffered a knee injury last night.
The superstar point guard injured his surgically-repaired knee and it will undoubtedly impact his performance.
Cavaliers have to secure the first seed
Even though Tyronn Lue's plan comes with a high price, he's doing the right thing. The Cleveland Cavaliers have played really bad on the road this season, winning 20 and losing 19 games.
They cannot afford to let their opponents have home court advantage in the playoffs as they struggle to play well in opposing arenas. In contrast, the Cavaliers are 31-9 at home this year, which is tied for the second-best home record in the entire league.
Cleveland will play another game against the Hawks tomorrow, followed by the game in Miami against the Heat. The Cavaliers will conclude their regular season at home as they will host the Toronto Raptors and hopefully they will secure the first seed by then.
