Feb 1, 2013; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving (2) after the game against the Detroit Pistons at The Palace. Detroit won 117-99. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports

The last time the Cleveland Cavaliers took on the New Orleans Hornets, Cavaliers point guard Kyrie Irving put on a fourth quarter show on ESPN. Scoring 35 points, Irving lead the Cavaliers to a big win and raised his profile even higher. With Irving now having been out a few weeks, Luke Walton let it slip that Irving may play tonight against the Hornets. If so, Cavaliers fans will have a real reason to watch against the leagues third and fourth worst teams.

Opponent’s Blog:  Pelican Debrief

Venue: New Orleans Arena

Tipoff: 6:00 PM ET

Betting Line: Hornets by -6

Where you can watch: Fox Sports Ohio

Where you can listen: WTAM (1100), WFUN (970 AM)

Let’s assume that Irving will not take the floor tonight. Sure it’s nice thought that the best player either of these teams has will actually suit up tonight, but it is not likely. Even Walton said he practiced, it’s not likely he’ll play unless he is 100 percent ready to go. What that means is that tonight’s matchup is truly going to be low level, ugly NBA basketball.

For the Cavaliers, it’s all about establishing themselves early in the game. That means Tyler Zeller, Tristan Thompson and company are going to need to be physical from the get go and hit the boards hard. Also, if I am the Cavaliers, I feed the ball to C.J. Miles early and often. Erin Gordon, his Hornets counterpart, isn’t the best defender, and with the right amount of screens, he should be able to get open for three pointers galore.

Look for Coach Scott to also get one of the Cavaliers big men going. They are going to need to do that early, as rookie Anthony Davis has a strong defensive presence in the paint. They cannot afford to let him become entrenched in the middle.

Cleveland did a very good job of doing that last game by attacking Davis directly, but without Irving and Dion Waiters, there is not one player on the roster capable of attacking the rim efficiently and effectively from the wing. It’ll be interesting to see what kind of game plan Coach Scott goes with to combat this.

For New Orleans, Gordon is going to be there primary weapon. A slasher by trade, he’s likely going to get open looks no matter if Miles or Wayne Ellington is defending him.

And if Daniel “Boobie” Gibson is at any time matched up with the former Indiana star, then it would not shock me to see Gordon get the ball possession after possession after possession.

With all of the Cavaliers issues, this is the Hornets game to lose. There are healthier, have more firepower and have a more cohesive roster at this time. Sure they are still a fairly bad team, but at least they have their top players. Cleveland does not, and unless Irving rises from the dead on Easter Sunday and proves to be healthy, then this going to be another Cavaliers loss on their road to a top three draft pick.

Dec 19, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward Luke Walton (4), power forward Kevin Jones (5) and shooting guard Dion Waiters (3) speak during the first half of a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Luke Walton was acquired in a trade package from the Los Angeles Lakers last season that included a 2012 first-round pick and Jason Kapono. Kapono was part of the Cavaliers’ organization for a brief two days after being waived. In return, the Lakers received Ramon Sessions, who left at the end of the season, and Christian (Sky) Eyenga.

Walton wasn’t looked at as a player in this trade – he was merely an expiring contract. He played in nine of the 36 games last season in which he was a Cavalier.

He has been known as Bill Walton’s son – and I mean why not, look at his dad’s resume.

Coming into the season, Walton was still viewed in the same way: an expiring contract. But Byron Scott confused some fans in the first game of the year when he put Luke Walton in the game. And from then on, he has been a rotational player coming off the bench.

During the NBA lockout, players were contemplating playing overseas to get mega-deals. Walton found himself a job. He became an assistant coach at the University of Memphis under a former assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of Arizona. However, Walton had to return to the Lakers when the lockout ended and play his contract out.

When he was with the Lakers he was a player who understood Phil Jackson’s triangle offense; and that’s what got him minutes coming off the bench. His career almost came to an abrupt end in 2009 when he suffered a back injury. It was so bad he contemplated retirement. Walton didn’t let his back injury get the best of him, and he battled back.

He has been apart of the crew that begins the fourth quarter, along with Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington, C.J. Miles and Shaun Livingston. Walton has been impressive with his passing this season. Monday night against the New York Knicks, Walton dished out 12 assists, 10 of them coming in the first half.

Walton provides a different aspect on offense. Our offense is run through the point guard, just like any other offense in the league. But when you put the ball in the hands of our power forward who can pass, you put more pressure on a bigger defender forcing him to come out, thus opening up the paint.

This season Coach Scott has given Walton the assignment of rookie Tyler Zeller and second-year power forward Tristan Thompson. While Zeller continues to struggle defensively, Thompson has been flourishing in the additional minutes he has been receiving since Anderson Varejao’s injury.

Walton has been a fun influence on this team. He provides veteran leadership and this team is starting to show good team chemistry. He is always the first one up cheering on the bench after a teammate hits a big three. Or the first one on the court giving high fives after a team calls a timeout.

This season Walton is averaging 3.2 points, 2.9 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 16.6 minutes per game; something any Joe Schmoe can do.

His play may not be worth the $6 million we’re paying him, but right now we don’t need that. What we need is what he’s providing us: veteran leadership. Walton is more valuable off the court than he is on the court.  However, if he keeps dishing out assists and getting key steals late in games, the Cavs will extend a contract offer to him. Not bad for a guy who was supposed to be on the bench expiring away.

Mar 4, 2013; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott draws up a play in the second quarter against the New York Knicks at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers moved the ball with ease in the first half against the New York Knicks, and it stemmed mostly from Luke Walton. In the first half the Cavs dished out 20 dimes on 26 shots made, with Walton and Kyrie Irving accounting for 14 of the assists (i.e. another interesting stat, seven of those 14 assists resulted in Marreese Speights’ buckets). Walton ended the night with a game-high 12 assists, and it had to be one of his best performances of the season.

The Cavaliers almost pulled off a team-oriented performance but couldn’t finish the job in the second half. Cleveland finished the first half with 20 assists, outdoing the New York Knicks by nine. The ball movement was fluid for Cleveland in the opening two quarters, but their feet when cold in the second act. It looked like it could have been a fatigue issue without having rookies Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller to depend on.

New York moved the ball much better in the final two quarters, as they totaled 12 assists. Cleveland only managed to get five.

Five assists in the second half compared to 20 in the first 24 minutes. There was a reason Cleveland was shooting 80 percent late into the first half; they were moving the ball and making the Knicks stay on their toes. When Carmelo Anthony went out, things started to get surprisingly better for New York. Cleveland scored 34 points in the first quarter alone. They only managed 36 in the second half.

Cleveland’s worst quarter has to be the third quarter. They rank 20^th in the league and average just 23.5 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. That’s their lowest mark in any quarter. We always see their sluggish starts to the second half, and it occurs because of how the team closes out the second quarter. Cleveland got up by 22 points with 7:28 remaining in the first half, but they got outscored 72-45 (27 points) from that point on. 13 points in the third quarter by the Wine and Gold was the lowest quarter total on the night. That included games involving the Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets and Charlotte Bobcats.

The issue stems from lack of depth. I totally understand that Waiters and Zeller not being available for the game had a lot to do with the outcome. Wayne Ellington struggled in his first start as a Cavalier, shooting 2-of-7 from the field and scoring just seven points. His job was to be effective from long-range, but he only shot 1-of-4 from beyond the arc. I was surprised that C.J. Miles didn’t get the start, but neither of those players had an effective enough impact on the game. The way Waiters has been playing lately would have definitely put the Cavs over the top, and the rookies would have made Amar’e Stoudemire and J.R. Smith less effective on offense. The two New Yorkers combined for 40 points off the bench, while shooting 50 percent from the field.

The Cavaliers are playing like a team that hasn’t found their identity. That is true. That is also the reason why the Cavaliers seem invisible in the final minutes of the first half. This is a huge momentum killer, and role players are the type of guys who can come up big in these situations. The Cavaliers have yet to figure out their supporting cast.

Obviously Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Waiters and Zeller are part of the future plans, but I can only envision Speights and Anderson Varejao as possible long-termers. This draft will tell a lot, so hopefully the Cavaliers’ front office is prepared for one of the most strategically important drafts of the Irving era.