Danny Cunningham here, the host of the daily Locked On Cavs podcast, with your daily Locked On Cavs newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Cavs and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
How the Cleveland Cavaliers Built the NBA’s Top Offense
The Cleveland Cavaliers have emerged as the NBA’s top offensive team this season, surprising many with their rapid success. Let’s explore how players like Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley are driving this offensive powerhouse.
- Unexpected Offensive Surge: The Cavaliers have exceeded expectations with their offensive performance, scoring 130 or more points in three of their first five games. This is a significant improvement from last season, where they only reached that mark four times.
- Diverse Scoring Contributions: One of the team’s strengths is the varied contributions from different players each night. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley have all taken turns leading the team in scoring, showcasing the depth and versatility of the roster.
- Three-Point Shooting: The Cavs are currently leading the NBA in three-point shooting percentage, hitting 41.4% of their shots from beyond the arc. However, some individual performances, like Caris LeVert’s 60% shooting, are likely unsustainable.
- Focus on Efficient Shots: The team excels in generating corner three-pointers, a highly efficient shot, though they are only 17th in the league in converting these opportunities. Improving this percentage could further enhance their offensive output.
- Inside Scoring and Aggression: The Cavaliers are shooting 71% from inside the restricted area, thanks to aggressive plays from Evan Mobley and others. This focus on high-percentage shots at the rim is a key factor in their offensive success.
- Ball Movement and Playmaking: The Cavs rank fifth in the NBA in assists per game, indicating a strong emphasis on ball movement and reducing isolation plays. This approach has made their offense more versatile and challenging to defend.
- Defensive Contributions to Offense: The team is second in the NBA in steals per game, which has allowed them to increase their pace and capitalize on fast-break opportunities. This transition game has been a crucial element of their offensive strategy.
- Areas for Improvement: Despite their success, the Cavs can still improve in areas like three-point attempt frequency and offensive rebounding. They are currently 16th in three-point attempts and 29th in offensive rebounding, indicating room for growth.
- Player-Specific Improvements: Dean Wade and Sam Merrill have room to improve their three-point shooting percentages, which could offset any regression from other players. Both are expected to perform better as the season progresses.
In summary, the Cleveland Cavaliers have started the season with an impressive offensive display, driven by a combination of diverse scoring, efficient shot selection, and strong team play. While there are areas to refine, the team’s early success sets a promising tone for the rest of the season.
As someone who just celebrated a birthday — a milestone birthday — I’ll admit that aging has been on my mind. Its privileges, its gifts, its expectations and assumptions (especially for women), aging can feel overwhelming, particularly wrought, even if you’ve made relative peace through the years with it.
Much of my writing is concerned with the nuances around basketball and its athletes, particularly the elements that underscore them as people. Strange to call “humanity” a nuance, but that can be the flattening of pro sports. Athletes aging is something larger fandom is pretty bad at processing, to the point where, in the NBA, anyone over 28 is considered long in the tooth and anyone over 35, ancient. The churn of the Draft, with its college phenoms and untapped prospects, makes it so we have a continually replenishing assembly line of young athletes ready to oust the old, often in a way that we don’t actually witness. Very few NBA athletes announce their retirements or make their exits from the league public, they just sort of… vanish, and with them goes our public consciousness of them.
In his postgame presser on Wednesday night, after the Warriors had beat the Pelicans for the second time on a two day back-to-back, Draymond Green touched on aging. Well, not explicitly, but his lengthy answer when asked about his impactful defensive efforts throughout Golden State’s first five contests was telling. Namely, because he brought up two of the youngest centers in the league, Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Preview The Cavs host the Magic tonight at 7 p.m. Check out the players to watch for, injury reports, and how to tune in.
Ranked The Ringer ranked how “all-in” each NBA team is based on their draft score and money score. The Cavs came in at an impressive No. 4. (The Ringer)
Must Watch Every NBA player knows about The Skirvin Hotel in Oklahoma City. Pablo Torre needed to know more, so he sent two reporters out to stay at what’s dubbed OKC’s “most haunted hotel.”
Feel Good They’re all kids at heart. Check out how players from around the league celebrated Halloween. (ESPN)
Must Read Pure talent, or being good in the room? Inc. looks at how certain personality types are affecting roster decisions in the league.
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Paolo Banchero Injured - The Fantasy Basketball Fallout
Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams (44) defends Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) during the second half at United Center.|Photo by David Banks-Imagn Images
As we dive into the latest NBA action, the fantasy landscape is ever-changing, with injuries and unexpected performances shaping our strategies. The recent news of Paolo Banchero’s injury is a significant blow for both the Orlando Magic and fantasy managers. Banchero is set to miss four to six weeks due to a torn abdominal muscle, which means a reevaluation around mid-December. This absence leaves a gaping hole in the Magic’s lineup, and the question remains: who will step up?
Orlando Magic’s Lineup Dilemma
The obvious choice might be Jonathan Isaac, but his limited minutes due to health concerns make this uncertain. Isaac’s potential is undeniable, yet his ability to sustain a starting role is questionable. Mo Wagner has been suggested as a possible fill-in, but his experience at power forward is limited. The Magic might opt for a more unconventional approach, possibly pushing Franz Wagner to the four and utilizing a three-guard lineup with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jalen Suggs, and Anthony Black. Black, although not a high scorer, could contribute across various categories, making him a viable fantasy consideration.
The situation is fluid, and while Wendell Carter Jr. should be a priority add if available, the rest of the lineup remains a puzzle. Fantasy managers should keep a close eye on the Magic’s rotations in the coming games to identify any emerging trends.
Click the button below to see who should be on your waiver radar, plus the fantasy impact of Desmond Bane’s injury for Memphis.
The Cavs leading with scoring The Cavs are winning with offense, and the best part of it is that a different guy each night is leading the way. Nothing about what they’ve done is unsustainable.
How Long Can The Cavs Stay Perfect? The Cleveland Cavaliers enter their game on Wednesday against the Lakers with a perfect 4-0 record. The team has found the perfect formula for winning, but how long can it stay that way?
