Analyzing the rebounding issue vs. Clippers

Cavs struggled to clean the glass.

The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t lose very often. So when they do, it’s worth looking into what caused this anomaly. Against the Los Angeles Clippers, it was a barrage of three-point shooting that was only reinforced by a total smackdown on the glass.

The Clippers outrebounded Cleveland 49-29. LA big-man Ivica Zubac snagged 20 rebounds all on his own, nearly matching the entire Cavalier starting lineup (24). Zubac’s eight offensive rebounds look gigantic when compared to Cleveland’s total of 10.

So what caused this lopsided effort on the glass? Did the Cavs just get punked à la the 2023 New York Knicks? Or was the lack of rebounding a systemic error that needed to be solved strategically rather than through brute strength? The answer is closer to the latter — but even that isn’t fully accurate. Some nights just aren’t your night. Let’s break down the tape just to be clear.

Reviewing Zubac’s offensive boards

The best place to start is by acknowledging the beast of LA.

Zubac’s monster double-double isn’t a surprise when you look at his resume. He leads the NBA in total offensive rebounds and is third in rebounding overall. He’s recorded 46 double-doubles this season (fifth most) and last night was his third game of 20+ rebounds since January.

In other words, Zubac is like that.

Still, the Cavaliers would have been aware of this entering the matchup. Fending off Zubac would have been one of their points of emphasis. That’s why leaving him alone in the play below is frustrating.

Did Jarrett Allen need to contest this shot that was already well-defended by the lengthy De’Andre Hunter? Allen leaves Zubac — who has firmly planted himself deep in the paint — and only Max Strus is left to fight for the board. That’s an easy cleanup for LA.

Allen is hardwired to protect the paint. You’re never going to ask an elite defensive big not to contest a shot. But in a case such as this — Allen’s decision to leave Zubac and contest an attempt that was already smothered is a lesson to learn from.

Over-helping wasn’t the only issue. In the play below, Zubac buries Donovan Mitchell under the basket when Evan Mobley is forced to switch onto the perimeter. This is just a mismatch that is bound to happen throughout 48 minutes.

Other boards are less interesting to discuss. The one below is a case of the ball falling straight into Zubac’s lap. Both Evan Mobley and Allen are boxing out. You can argue Donovan Mitchell should have crashed lower for the rebound — but most three-pointers go long rather than dying on the rim like this.

The next play is an example of that. A missed three-pointer goes long — and Zubac expertly picks his spot to bat the ball back to a teammate. Allen and Dean Wade have a body on him, but the ball simply didn’t bounce their way.

Finally, we get a good old-fashioned bully play from Zubac. There’s no bad luck or unfortunate bounce on this play. Zubac just straight bodies Allen for the board.

However, there is one thing to note from the above play. Watch Allen as Kawhi Leonard gathers for his shot attempt. He shades up to seal any potential driving lane — thus opening the door for Zubac to creep behind and lock himself into position for the board.

This isn’t an egregious case of overhelping but it’s certainly something Allen could have avoided. Max Strus has already done his job to force Leonard into a tough mid-range jumper. Allen’s sole focus should have been keeping himself between Zubac and the rim.

Still, I’d be more willing to ignore Allen’s decision to leave Zubac and help contest a shot if it wasn’t a trend we’ve seen before. Again, it’s Allen’s job to protect the rim — but these tiny details are what take you from good to great on defense.

Second-half scoring was the bigger concern against LAC

Overall the Clippers finished with 14 offensive rebounds. Those were the headliners — even though Cleveland nearly matched that tempo with 10 offensive rebounds of their own. It was really a poor second half of shooting that led the way for LA’s dominance on the glass.

Cleveland shot 3-19 from deep (15%) and 18-44 (40%) overall in the second half. They also missed six free throws. That’s a lot of rebounding opportunities for a Clippers team that was already shooting 58% from the floor in the second half. This is important because the Cavs got beat 30-12 on the glass that half after holding steady in the first (19-17).

It’s easy to focus on the rebounding disparity. But in this case — it had more to do with each team’s shooting efficiency than any lack of effort or schematic error. This wasn't anything like previous seasons where the Cavs got punked on the boards. But it was one of the most efficient scoring games of the season for LAC.