| Cavs Have All The Tools For A Title Authored by Brandon Hoffman - December 21, 2008 - 12:43 pm
| Current Featured Columns | | Merry Christmas, Raptors Fans The Raptors might not be playing good basketball right now, but there are plenty of things for Toronto fans to be thankful for this holiday season.
A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
 |
Maynor Using Utah’s Resources
Eric Maynor is an increasingly rare four-year, small college rookie. He sat down with RealGM to discuss how his first few weeks of NBA life has gone and what he has learned from Deron Williams and Jerry Sloan.
|
 |
Why LeBron To The Clippers Makes Sense
LeBron James already plays for a perennial underdog in Cleveland, but moving to the Clippers would allow him to do so in a huge market and with a core that will immediately compete for championships while also having an encouraging long term outlook.
|
 |
‘Home-Heavy Schedule’ Brings Question Marks
The Heat have been plagued by inconsistencies, making it difficult to determine how good they really are this season.
|
|
More from RealGM's Columnists
|
| |
“It surprised me early,” LeBron James said after leading the Cavs to a 105-88 win over the Denver Nuggets Friday night. “But it’s not surprising anymore.”
The Cavaliers are outscoring their opponents by an NBA best 13.2 points per game.
Before the game James was asked to explain Cleveland’s early season success.
LeBron pointed to Delonte West’s contract extension, the Mo Williams trade, and “guys coming in hungry and wanting to take responsibility for the betterment of the team.”
“We’ve had a different mindset this season,” James said. “Everyone has picked up their level of play.”
That mindset has been apparent early in games as the Cavaliers have outscored their opponents in 19-of-26 first quarters this season by a total of 144 points. Cleveland is taking it to the opposition early and not letting up until the final buzzer sounds.
The Cavs are second in points allowed per 100 possessions (89.2 ppg) and defensive field goal percentage (42%). Shooting guard Delonte West and power forward Ben Wallace have long been considered good defenders, but it’s LeBron James’ commitment to the defensive end that has forged Cleveland’s defense.
James has always been an adequate on-ball defender, but struggled with helpside concepts and tended to lose focus and coast through early quarters. Those weaknesses appear to be behind him.
James held Carmelo Anthony to 13 points Friday night, eight below Anthony’s average. In their two meetings this season, James held Anthony to 15.5 ppg on 38.7% shooting. Over the last nine games, James has held starting small forwards to 11.4 ppg on 36% shooting.
Off-the-ball, James is playing “defensive quarterback” by calling out picks and barking out instructions. James is seventh in the league in steals and the Cavaliers are second in points off turnovers.
The Cavs are a disciplined ballclub. Their rotations are textbook, defenders rarely roam out of position and they contest every shot. Cleveland’s defense is predicated on keeping the ball out of the middle. Williams, West, and James are active on the perimeter and Wallace, Varejao and Ilgauskas have done an excellent job of protecting the basket. The Cavs are first in defensive field goal percentage in the paint.
With Mike Brown at the helm, the Cavaliers have never ranked lower than 14th in defensive efficiency. But it’s Cleveland’s offensive improvement that has transformed them into an elite team. The Cavs are first in points scored per 100 possessions (114.2).
“When I got to Cleveland, I talked defense 95% of the time and offense 5% of the time,” Coach Brown said. “I wanted to ingrain that into my team so that they spoke the same language. We’ve got more creative this year, and now when we’re in practice or film sessions, it’s about 50-50.”
The acquisitions of Mo Williams, Delonte West, Ben Wallace, and Wally Szczerbiak have helped, but after years of offensive futility, the Cavaliers have finally implemented a system that takes advantage of LeBron’s considerable gifts. Instead of relying on James to break his man down at the top of the key, Cleveland is running James off of screens and getting him the ball in the post and on the wings.
As X’s and O’s of Basketball explained recently, the Cavs start out in a 1-2-2 set. James and Ilgauskas set up on the weak-side wing while Williams brings the ball up the floor. West and Wallace are positioned at the ball-side corner and elbow. As Williams approaches the three-point line, Ilgauskas sets a down screen for James who catches the ball beyond the arc. After Williams passes to James, he and West interchange spots on the weak-side. Ilgauskas sets another pick for James after he catches the ball while West and Williams spot up on the far side of the court.
Cleveland runs some slight variations, but nearly all of their early offense is centered on the two-man game between James and Ilgauskas. Ilgauskas’ outside shooting makes it hard for his defender to help on the pick-and-roll, while Williams and West’s shooting ability spaces the floor on the weak-side. It’s a very effective scheme that gives James plenty of room to operate.
The Cavs do a great job of moving the ball. James has always been unselfish, and the addition of Williams and West has given Cleveland two starters with point guard mentalities. It will be interesting to see if teams like the Lakers and Celtics are able to counter the Cavaliers with their strongside tilt defenses. Power forward Ben Wallace has been rejuvenated defensively, but he and Varejao’s spotty offense could be Cleveland’s Achilles heel.
Cleveland’s competition has been questionable as the Cavs have benefited from a weak schedule thus far and are just 2-4 on the road against teams with winning records. But it’s impossible to downplay their offensive and defensive execution. The Cavs are no longer a one man band. They’re a team with all the tools required to win a championship.
Brandon Hoffman is a contributing writer for RealGM. Read Brandon’s NBA blog at BallerBlogger.com. |
