What we learned this week: The Cavs offense is elite, the defense isn’t
The Cavs remain perfect because of their offensive firepower.
The Cleveland Cavaliers refuse to lose. They mowed down all four of their opponents this week, but that was mostly due to their excellent offensive execution. Let’s get into what we learned from those wins.
The defense hasn’t been up to their standards
The Cavs like to say that this is still a defensive-first team. That hasn’t shown through recently.
Cleveland has the 11th-ranked defense since the beginning of November. They’ve registered a 113.3 defensive rating in that time which can be attributed mostly to how opponents have shot the three ball against them. Teams are connecting on 39.6% of their outside looks which is the second-worst percentage in that span.
“We know those teams are shooting over [their] expected [three-point percentage against us],” Kenny Atkinson said. “I look at the numbers, but I also look at the film.”
The film and the numbers show that the Cavs aren’t doing a great job of contesting outside shots. Cleveland is allowing the fifth most wide-open three-point attempts per game (21.4) since the start of the month. That was even worse this past week as they gave up the second-most wide-open threes (27.3) which their opponents knocked down 44% of the time. Three of Cleveland’s last four opponents shot over 36% from three. That isn’t good.
“We showed that our contest level was not great,” Atkinson said. “I think [contesting threes] is a bigger part of the game than maybe the average fan thinks. But I know we got to do a better job because you could lose important games if teams are shooting 45%, 50% from three.”
The Cavs turned this particular area around against the Charlotte Hornets in the fourth quarter by switching to a zone. However, that likely isn’t a sustainable solution for stopping this problem on a nightly basis.
“That’s our moneymaker,” Darius Garland said about the defense. “We definitely have to just up our intensity a lot more, especially on the ball. ... We’ve been talking about it for a couple of days now, and going into Tuesday we know that it’s going to have to pick up a lot.”
Fortunately for the Cavs, the offense has more than picked up the slack.
The offense is driving wins
The offense continues to be one of the very best in the league. They’re currently second in offensive rating, but that number is only getting better. The Cavs have posted an outrageous league-best 124.3 offensive rating in the last two weeks.
As an inverse to the defense, the offense’s numbers are juiced because of their incredible three-point shooting. They’ve converted a league-leading 43.6% of their outside looks in the last two weeks. That percentage isn’t going to continue, but it’s a byproduct of the phenomenal opportunities they’re creating.
“We’re not going to keep shooting like this,” Atkinson said after Friday’s win. “But you know, on the other hand, we look at shot quality, I don’t want to say it because I’m not exactly sure, but we’re pretty high up in shot quality. ... We’re getting really good shots so that’s what we can control.”
The offense is good because of their flawless half-court execution, how their guards have controlled the tempo of games, and their ability to get to the rim. But when the three-point shot is falling, they can feel unbeatable. Friday’s 49-point first quarter against the Chicago Bulls was a perfect example of that.
“When the game first started Donovan [Mitchell] hit three or four threes then Darius hit three or four threes,” Caris LeVert said. “I know they were thinking ‘Damn, these dudes don’t miss.’ And when I first got into the league, that’s how it felt when we were playing against the Warriors.”
The offense has been Warriors-esque in the words of Atkinson. It’s hard to believe that this is the same roster that has struggled throughout the last two seasons to consistently create good looks. Their willingness to move the ball and move off the ball is what has made all the difference.
“We’re just moving the ball, playing unselfish, and everybody’s just confident in their game right now,” Garland said. “Everybody just wants to be a part of it and that’s what it is. We’re making the right reads every time, making the right pass.”
“The ball has energy once you hit the open man,” LeVert said. “Your teammate does the same thing and it becomes a domino effect.”
That domino effect has led to 15 straight wins. We’ll see how that offense stacks up when they take on the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.