NBA.com’s John Schuhmann gets you ready for the 2016-17 season with a key stat for each team in the league and shows you why it matters. Today, we look at the Cleveland Cavaliers, who took their offense to a new level in the postseason.
THE STAT
The Cavs were the most improved offensive team in the playoffs, scoring 4.4 more points per 100 possessions than they did in the regular season.
.tg420 {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#999;width:420px;}
.tg420 td{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#000000;background-color:#F7FDFA;}
.tg420 th{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#fff;background-color:#26ADE4;}
.tg420 .tg420-nook{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;color:#fe0000;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-z1d7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#bdd7ee;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-mktv{background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-cwv5{background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-ptht{background-color:#c6e0b4;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-awnq{background-color:#bdd7ee;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-js86{font-weight:bold;background-color:#c6e0b4;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-ibx7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-p7bw{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-3we0{background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-aous{background-color:#e2efda;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-my2k{background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-8all{font-style:italic;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg420 .tg420-tf2d{font-style:italic;font-size:small;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
MOST IMPROVED OffRtg, REG. SEASON TO PLAYOFFS
Team
Reg. sea.
Rank
Playoffs
Rank
Diff.
Cleveland
108.1
4
112.5
1
4.4
Detroit
103.3
15
107.4
4
4.2
Indiana
102.4
23
103.4
7
1.0
OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
THE CONTEXT
The Cavs already had a great offense and ranked fourth in efficiency in the regular season. But they took things to a new level when it counted most.
The postseason improvement was a continuation of offensive improvement under coach Tyronn Lue. The Cavs were about five points per 100 possessions better offensively (and about five points per 100 possessions worse defensively) in 41 regular-season games under Lue than they were in 41 games under former coach David Blatt.
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#999;}
.tg td{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#000000;background-color:#F7FDFA;}
.tg th{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#fff;background-color:#26ADE4;}
.tg .tg-nook{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;color:#fe0000;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-cwv5{background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-abk0{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-ibx7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-p7bw{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-3we0{background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-eiwr{background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-my2k{background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-8all{font-style:italic;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-tf2d{font-style:italic;font-size:small;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
CAVS 2015-16 FOUR FACTORS
eFG%
Rank
OREB%
Rank
TO%
Rank
FTA Rate
Rank
Own
52.4%
3
25.1%
9
14.1%
13
0.259
23
Opponents
49.6%
12
21.5%
5
13.9%
21
0.275
16
eFG% = (FGM + (0.5 * 3PM)) / FGA
OREB% = % of available offensive rebounds obtained
TO% = Turnovers per 100 possessions
FTA Rate = FTA / FGA
In the playoffs, the Cavs had a lower turnover rate (13.4 per 100 possessions) and a higher offensive rebounding percentage (26.8 percent) than they did in the regular season (14.1, 25.1 percent). But the biggest difference in their postseason offense was beyond the arc.
They shot better and more often from 3-point range in the playoffs, hitting at least a dozen threes in 12 of their 21 postseason games (including each of their eight games in the first two rounds). Their 25 3-pointers in Game 2 of the conference semifinals vs. Atlanta were the most ever made in a game, playoffs or regular season.
NBA.com/stats video: Watch the Cavs hit 25 threes against the Hawks
LeBron James’ jumper has been inconsistent for more than a year now. But James assisted on 35 percent (79/226) of his teammates’ 3-pointers and averaged 15.1 points in the paint in the playoffs, while nobody else averaged more than 11.5.
With James attacking and the other Cavs shooting, defenses had to pick their poison. The offense slowed down a bit after the first two rounds, but Cleveland scored 113.3 points per 100 possessions over its last five games of The Finals.
.tg450 {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#999;width:450px;}
.tg450 td{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#000000;background-color:#F7FDFA;}
.tg450 th{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#fff;background-color:#26ADE4;}
.tg450 .tg450-nook{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;color:#fe0000;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-cwv5{background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-abk0{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-ibx7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-p7bw{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-3we0{background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-eiwr{background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-my2k{background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-8all{font-style:italic;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg450 .tg450-tf2d{font-style:italic;font-size:small;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
CAVS 2015-16 SHOOTING
Area
FGM
FGA
FG%
Rank
%FGA
Rank
Restricted area
1,309
2,055
63.7%
4
29.8%
24
Other paint
372
938
39.7%
17
13.6%
19
Mid-range
610
1,467
41.6%
7
21.3%
23
Corner 3
262
665
39.4%
10
9.7%
2
Above-break 3
617
1,758
35.1%
9
25.5%
4
%FGA = Percentage of total FGA
J.R. Smith led the Cavs with 65 3-pointers in the playoffs, fourth most in any postseason, behind only Stephen Curry in 2015 and ’16 and Klay Thompson in ’16. Smith took 80 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in the playoffs (up from 60 percent in the regular season). Re-signing Smith obviously makes Cleveland more potent offensively.
Matthew Dellavedova (seventh in catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage) will be missed on both ends of the floor, especially in the regular season when his minutes are more important. But the Cavs have added Mike Dunleavy, one of 10 players who has shot better than 40 percent on at least 1,000 3-point attempts over the last six years.
.tg330 {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#999;width:330px;}
.tg330 td{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#000000;background-color:#F7FDFA;}
.tg330 th{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#fff;background-color:#26ADE4;}
.tg330 .tg330-nook{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;color:#fe0000;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-erlg{font-weight:bold;background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-cwv5{background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-c7at{font-weight:bold;background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-ibx7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-p7bw{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-3we0{background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-eiwr{background-color:#ffffff;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-my2k{background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-o4ll{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg330 .tg330-rzqm{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
40% on at least 1,000 3PA since 2010-11
Player
3PM
3PA
3P%
Kyle Korver
991
2,212
44.8%
Stephen Curry
1,427
3,210
44.5%
Jose Calderon
580
1,367
42.4%
Ray Allen
529
1,253
42.2%
Klay Thompson
1,060
2,524
42.0%
J.J. Redick
837
2,002
41.8%
Richard Jefferson
517
1,250
41.4%
Anthony Morrow
540
1,313
41.1%
Danny Green
725
1,790
40.5%
Mike Dunleavy
582
1,447
40.2%
This team’s defense comes and goes, but its offense should be as potent as ever.
.tg {border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;border-color:#999;}
.tg td{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#000000;background-color:#F7FDFA;}
.tg th{font-size:small;font-family:Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;font-weight:normal;padding:1px 5px;border-style:solid;border-width:1px;overflow:hidden;word-break:normal;border-color:#999;color:#fff;background-color:#26ADE4;}
.tg .tg-nook{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffffff;color:#fe0000;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-m0jr{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ffe699;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-z1d7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#bdd7ee;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-mktv{background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-cwv5{background-color:#ffffff;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-yzt1{background-color:#efefef;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-ogr1{background-color:#fff2cc;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-3uwe{background-color:#d9e1f2;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-ptht{background-color:#c6e0b4;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-8s31{font-weight:bold;background-color:#b4c6e7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-awnq{background-color:#bdd7ee;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-js86{font-weight:bold;background-color:#c6e0b4;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-ibx7{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-p7bw{font-weight:bold;background-color:#ddebf7;color:#000000;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-3we0{background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-aous{background-color:#e2efda;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-my2k{background-color:#efefef;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-93ta{background-color:#ffe699;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-ynfs{background-color:#b4c6e7;text-align:right;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-8all{font-style:italic;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
.tg .tg-tf2d{font-style:italic;font-size:small;background-color:#ffffff;vertical-align:top}
CAVS PACE & EFFICIENCY, LAST 5 SEASONS
Season
W
L
PCT
Pace
Rank
OffRtg
Rank
DefRtg
Rank
NetRtg
Rank
2015-16
57
25
0.695
95.5
28
108.1
4
102.3
10
+5.8
4
2014-15
53
29
0.646
94.8
25
107.7
4
104.1
20
+3.7
7
2013-14
33
49
0.402
95.7
18
101.3
23
104.8
17
-3.5
23
2012-13
24
58
0.293
95.0
12
100.8
23
106.9
27
-6.1
27
2011-12
21
45
0.318
94.0
12
98.1
27
106.0
26
-7.9
29
Pace = Possessions per 48 minutes
OffRtg = Points scored per 100 possessions
DefRtg = Points allowed per 100 possessions
NetRtg = Point differential per 100 possessions
10 MORE CAVS NOTES
Cleveland’s starting lineup, with Tristan Thompson at center, scored 115.3 points per 100 possessions in 465 minutes together, the best OffRtg mark among lineups that played at least 200 minutes. It was also the best offensive lineup among those that played at least 100 minutes in the postseason.
The Cavs outscored their opponents by 11.0 points per 100 possessions with James on the floor, but were outscored by 5.4 with him on the bench. That difference of 16.4 points per 100 possessions was the fourth biggest among players who played at least 1,000 minutes in the regular season. In the postseason, they were 18.2 points per 100 possessions better with James on the floor (plus-12.4) than they were with him on the bench (minus-5.8).
Cleveland outscored its opponents by 16.7 points per 100 possessions in 1,177 minutes with Dellavedova and James on the floor together, the fifth best mark among two-man combinations that played at least 500 minutes together (behind only four Golden State combinations).
The Cavs saw a big jump in first-half offense after the coaching change, scoring 114.4 points per 100 possessions before halftime under Lue after scoring just 103.8 under Blatt. At the same time, they saw a regression in second-half defense, allowing 106.9 points per 100 possessions after halftime under Lue after allowing just 98.2 under Blatt.
The Cavs led the league with 853 skip passes, according to SportVU. James made 371 (43 percent) of those passes.
James averaged a career-high 14.0 points in the paint per game in the regular season and, as noted above, increased that to 15.1 per game in the playoffs.
James led the league with 154 shots with four seconds or less on the shot clock.
Kevin Love led the league with 249 “wide-open” 3-point attempts.
Frye led the postseason in 3-point percentage (minimum 25 attempts), at 56.5 percent.
Kyrie Irving (52.5 percent) is the only player with an effective field goal percentage of 50 percent or better on at least 65 FGA in last minute of the fourth quarter or overtime with the score within three points over last five years.
NBA TV’s Cavs preview premieres at 6 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Oct. 4.
