The Cleveland Cavaliers clearly still have some things to work out, as they are the ninth team in the East with a 13-11 record.
If they wish to get better, they will need to address some glaring issues.
According to Carter Rodriguez, the Cavaliers’ halfcourt offense leaves much to be desired.
Since November 15, the team has been 9-5 but the halfcourt offense still ranks 22nd.
Last season, Cleveland had the tenth-best halfcourt.
A real sign of concern for the Cavaliers this season:
The Halfcourt offense. Since Nov. 15, the team is 9-5.
Despite that improved play, the halfcourt offense ranks 22nd at 97.0 Points/100 per CTGLast year, Cleveland had the 10th best halfcourt Pts/100 at 99.8.
— Carter Rodriguez (@Carter_Shade) December 13, 2023
The Cavaliers have had a lot of ups and downs so far in the season.
They have won five of their last eight games but the losses during that time have been really hard.
They have fallen to the Portland Trail Blazers, which was a low point of the season and just faced back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics.
They will now face the Celtics again on Thursday night.
The importance of the halfcourt game has only grown over the years and it is now a dominant part of the game and the most successful teams have found ways to thrive in that part of the court.
If the Cavaliers hope to be the best in the East, they will need to improve their production from halfcourt.
They have a strong pair of shooters with Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, while Max Strus has been very powerful in his first season with the team too.
That certainly helps, but they need more.
Defense throughout the league is stronger than ever and both Mitchell and Garland are repeatedly targeted as other teams attempt to slow them down.
That contributes to their lack of halfcourt offense.
They were much better with this last season so fans are hopeful the Cavaliers can get a lot better in the weeks ahead.
NEXT: Analyst Urges Cavs To Add 1 Rookie Into The Rotation
