The Cleveland Cavaliers have been the most pleasant surprise in the entire NBA this season.
Nevertheless, they’ve already won half of their projected over/under total for wins before the start of the season, and we haven’t even reached the All-Star break.
That’s why it’s safe to say this isn’t a fluke.
If anything, the four losses they’ve had might be the outliers.
With that in mind, Cavs analyst Rafa Hernández-Brito pointed out the three things this team has done better so far: Taking great shots, shooting the ball well, and playing good defense.
The #Cavs have found their identity through a large sample size. #LetEmKnow
"They shoot well, they play good defense, and they take good shots."
– @ElAlcaldeRafa pic.twitter.com/A0PaaOTYJl
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) December 28, 2024
Of course, that sounds way easier to do than it actually is, but sometimes, it’s as simple as that.
The Cavaliers were already a good defensive team under J.B. Bickerstaff.
This season, however, even players like Darius Garland are taking pride in getting stops and not being targeted on defense.
As for the offense, Kenny Atkinson’s free-motion offense has all players thriving.
The ball doesn’t touch the floor very often.
Everybody’s getting their touches, and the players are slashing and cutting with a purpose.
Eventually, opposing defenses are unable to keep up with all the ball movement, and someone gets a wide-open shot.
As a result, the Cavaliers have the most efficient offense in the entire Association.
The court gets smaller in the playoffs, and it’s never easy to keep up with this kind of pace.
But for now, there’s no reason to doubt this team.
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