No Rest for the Wicked

Will someone please get these Cleveland Cavaliers some rest -- or a nap -- for heaven's sake?

Head coach David Blatt has apparently overlooked or blatantly forgotten that he has more than seven players at his disposal.

Using a limited rotation isn't effective, long-term. With three games in five days, the Cavs looked sluggish, uninterested, and downright exhausted on Thursday night.

And that was at home, where a sense of normalcy exists.

I don't think Blatt knows anything about the Law of Diminishing Returns, which I'll apply here, in basketball terms.

The longer a player plays, the less effective he becomes.

Everyone, physically, has a breaking point, and you can't sustain a superb efficiency level if your head coach refuses to allow your body to heal/rest throughout a series or a even a single game.

If this wasn't a series, a seven-man rotation might work, but I'm afraid that Blatt will have to re-assess his coaching strategy and adjust it so his players don't flame out in Game 5 like they did in Game 4.

Fortunately, the Cavs got two days to recover, but as we all witnessed, Golden State -- using a 10-man rotation -- looked considerably more refreshed and energetic. They exploited the Cavs' lackadaisical defense en route to a massive win on the road to regain home-court advantage.

LeBron can only do so much. You're asking the best player in the game to carry the team offensively and defensively. Maybe he's taken that challenge and exceeded most of our expectations by averaging 36 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists over four games, but he's not the Energizer Bunny.

Dude needs minutes to sit so he's ready to go in the fourth.

The Cavs could play Mike Miller or even Shawn Marion -- two savvy vets who have Finals experience -- to rest Lebron and Matthew Dellavedova.

Hell, I'd love to sub in and get the King some much-needed rest, but I can barely guard a sandwich from my dog, let alone the league's MVP, Stephen Curry.

Regardless, Blatt must modify his this is who we are strategy. If not, a mutiny will form after Golden State wins the next two games and Blatt will be sent packing after a short-lived 1-year coaching career.