For years, the Golden State Warriors boasted the best offense in the NBA.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have taken a page from their book, and it’s working perfectly.
Kenny Atkinson learned a thing or two from his time working under Steve Kerr’s tutelage, and he’s adapted those tricks to have his version of his free-flowing offense.
According to Cavaliers broadcaster Rafa Hernández-Brito, this new ball movement has been the biggest reason behind their surge in three-point shooting.
Talking on Full Court Cleveland, he explained how this has led to some wide-open shots:
“Eventually, with the ball moving 15 times, somebody on the defense won’t rotate,” he said.
The #Cavs elite ball movement has led to an increased team 3PT% #LetEmKnow
"Eventually, with the ball moving 15 times, somebody on the defense won't rotate."
presented by: @drinkgaragebeer pic.twitter.com/SkmVULQSzV
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) December 25, 2024
The Cavs currently ranks first in three-point percentage (40.6%), third in three-pointers made per game (16.1), and eighth in three-pointers attempted per game (39.6).
This is a notorious improvement, especially considering they have virtually the same roster as last season.
Last season, J.B. Bickerstaff’s Cavs ranked in the middle of the pack in three-point shooting percentage (36.7%) despite shooting the eighth-most three-pointers per game in the entire league (36.8).
Simply put, the Cavs are now taking and making more threes, a product of more and better ball movement.
We’ve seen the Cavs swing the ball repeatedly on offense, pushing the pace but not rushing anything and always finding the open man.
The ball rarely touches the floor once it reaches halfcourt, and it’s difficult for opposing defenses to keep up with that.
Hopefully, this trend will continue for the remainder of the season.
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