Cleveland Cavaliers trying to be creative, thinking about virtual reality as player development tool – cleveland.com

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Imagine Cleveland Cavaliers rookie point guard Darius Garland on the practice floor alongside a few assistant coaches, simulating a pick-and-roll set.

Garland has the ball with a live dribble. One coach is setting a faux screen near the top of the key while another is spread out by the 3-point line to mimic the typical spacing. What happens next is up to Garland. He could drive and kick the ball to his teammate on the perimeter or dump it off to the roller after the defender commits. Garland could also take the shot himself, from deep, midrange or at the rim.

Reading the pick and roll has been an area the Cavs have tracked all season with Garland, evaluating his decision-making after each one. Good. Neutral. Bad. Those are the grades. Its not always about the end result but rather the process.

Working on those run-throughs would usually be a simple task. Only its much more complicated these days because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Cavs are reopening their practice facility on Friday. But that specific scenario cant happen because the one coach, with the one player, at the one basket -- per NBA guidelines to protect players staff members -- will be there to rebound and pass. Head coach J.B. Bickerstaff isnt allowed in the building. None of the front-of-the-bench assistants are.

That means an area the Cavs have wanted Garland to focus on during his bumpy rookie season, one that will steer his development over the next few months, will have to be done in a different way.

I think we got to be creative. This has given us a unique opportunity to think as far outside the box as we possibly can, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said during a Wednesday Zoom call with reporters. Working with our staff, just having a conversation that we dont always have to do what weve always done just because weve always done it. This is an opportunity to push the envelope and try to come up with some new and creative things that can help our guys even when things do get back to normal.

Bickerstaff has been brainstorming ideas with other coaches around the league, including buddies Lloyd Pierce of the Atlanta Hawks and Sacramentos Luke Walton, with whom Bickerstaff was set to join before taking the Cavaliers lead assistant job under ex-coach John Beilein.

One creative development tool that has come up: Virtual reality.

You basically can put a guy on the floor and hes got to move through space like he would on a real court playing against opponents, Bickerstaff said.

Multiple members of the organization have brought virtual reality up when discussing a path to development at this uncertain time. Its clearly on Clevelands radar.

I like that space a lot, one member of the organization told cleveland.com.

Reopening the practice facility isnt about giving players a lengthy to-do list. Its about getting them back in the gym, allowing them to have an escape, doing something they love, getting some shots up and hitting the weight room. The Cavs believe -- as much as it will help players get in shape physically in case the league resumes -- its also helpful from a mental standpoint.

Player development is at the core of this franchise. Not just with Garland and the other young players either. Its everyone. Even though its an atypical time, the Cavs dont want to lose that.

Bickerstaff said its important to simplify their plans. He looks at development in two parts: individual and systematic. Its not just on the court but off as well.

When the league suspended play on March 11, no one knew how long the stoppage would last. A 30-day hiatus was the initial announcement. Its close to the two-month mark at this point, with very little clarity on when, or if, a restart is possible.

In the days after, the Cavs created individual programs for players, giving them film clips to evaluate and talk about with coaches -- similar to pre-game session. They also provided other information on where they could improve after conducting studies. Some were analytics-driven -- shooting percentages from certain spots on the floor, shot selection, pick and roll, turnovers, passing metrics. Once compiled, coaches gave players a detailed one-page breakdown.

For Kevin Porter Jr., its catch-and-shoot, driving closeouts and pick-and-roll efficiency. But each player is different.

As for the systematic development, thats much easier in these conditions. If the Cavs want the players to shoot more 3s, they can do that, especially in an open facility. If they want players to work on finishing around the rim, they can do that as well. All they need is a ball and a hoop.

Most everything is different, and likely will be for a while. Bickerstaffs face-to-face interactions come via a computer monitor or cell phone screen. As a coach and leader, hes used to meaningful interactions -- pat on the butt, arm around a shoulder, chest-bumping, high-fives, fist-pounds. This pandemic has forced him to change some of his coaching methods.

But, even in this era of social distancing, some things are constant: The importance hes placed on building chemistry, laying the foundation and player development.

With the way we were moving, I think this separation will make people more excited to get back together and I think we can springboard off that excitement whenever it is that were able to get back," Bickerstaff said. "Making sure guys understand that were there for them more than just the basketball piece of this.

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime, bigger-than-basketball thing that is happening in front of us. How do we treat the guys and how do we help them through all this stuff is more important than getting them back on the floor. Once we have established that, the skys the limit because now guys are willing to do more for one another, theyre willing to do more for the organization, more for the staff than if they felt slighted in any way during all this stuff.

"Our whole thing is to create an environment where people feel so comfortable, they feel so supported that theyre willing to do more. Weve got to make sure we keep doing those things and find different ways to spark that flame so that when we do get back, we are ready to go.

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Cleveland Cavaliers trying to be creative, thinking about virtual reality as player development tool - cleveland.com