The Cleveland Cavaliers currently have the highest-scoring offense in the entire NBA.
Kenny Atkinson’s team is averaging 124.5 points per game after ten games.
They also have the highest offensive rating at 123.1 points per 100 possessions.
That’s despite ranking No. 6 in pace (101.0) and No. 13 in three-pointers taken per game (37.0).
The Cavaliers don’t take as many threes as other teams, but they do knock them down at a higher clip (42.7%), ranking first in the league in that category.
However, as much as everybody can rave about that, and rightfully so, Coach Atkinson deserves credit for their offensive success.
Talking after the big win over the Golden State Warriors, he shared his insight about how cutting with a purpose, contrary to what NBA coaches used to think in the past, actually creates vacuums and passing lanes for the shooting to come naturally for them (via Spencer Davies).
Everybody looks at the threes, but itโs more than that.
It seems so simplistic, but I was really curious: Can cutting be just as effective as stretching the floor with shooters on the perimeter while playing five out?
Asked Kenny Atkinson and the #Cavs. Outstanding insight. pic.twitter.com/Mab1lxJ0BW
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) November 9, 2024
Atkinson has always been an innovative and creative offensive mind, and this was evident early in his tenure with the Cavaliers.
The players have fully embraced his concepts, and this is the best basketball the team has played since the LeBron James days.
All those years scheming for Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and the Golden State Warriors’ free-flowing offense paid off.
He’s become the first coach in NBA history to win his first ten games with his new team.
Everybody’s moving and finding open shots in Cleveland, and this level of offensive play seems sustainable in the long run, even if the undefeated record and winning streak will end at some point.
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