The Cleveland Cavaliers have gone from a decent playoff team to a legitimate championship contender this season, and new head coach Kenny Atkinson deserves plenty of credit for that improvement.
Statistically, most of that improvement has taken place on the offensive end of the floor, where they lead everyone in offensive rating, field-goal percentage and 3-point shooting accuracy.
But in terms of actions and not results, Atkinson said this improvement has taken place because the Cavs’ roster has remained together and its chemistry has significantly improved over time.
“Once you build a habit, it becomes automatic.”
We’re talking about the same thing after every game at this point with the #Cavs.
How is it that this level of consistency in execution is happening nightly still?
Kenny Atkinson, Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell & Ty Jerome share. pic.twitter.com/EaDNjgLo2A
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) December 22, 2024
This is the third straight season that the Cavs have sported four regular starters in Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, while wings Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert remain solid contributors.
Okoro is shooting an amazing 49.2 percent from 3-point range, which continues the steady improvement he has shown each year in that category, while LeVert, who has historically been up and down with his shooting efficiency, is at 46.7 percent from downtown.
This season, Garland has been much more efficient with his shooting than he was last season, while Mobley may be budding as someone who can stretch opposing defenses by occasionally hitting from beyond the arc.
Under Atkinson, Cleveland is playing at a much faster pace than they previously did, and the results are clear as day.
They have the NBA’s best record at 25-4, and they have claimed a couple of statement wins against the Denver Nuggets and the defending world champion Boston Celtics.
The Cavs will visit the Nuggets, who won it all just 18 months ago, on Dec. 27 to start a challenging five-game Western road trip that will give them the opportunity to further establish themselves as a true title contender.
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