NBA January Takeaway: The Cleveland Cavaliers are fun?
If you would have told me before the season started that a team was going to collect a bunch of centers that can’t shoot, play at least two of them together at all times, run their offense through Collin Sexton, and have the least efficient offense in the NBA, I would have probably canceled my NBA League Pass subscription and used my time and money on something more fun like going to the dentist or getting tattoo removal treatments even though I don’t even have one. But the Cleveland Cavaliers check all of those boxes and aren’t just tolerable, they’re actually pretty fun.
It starts with Collin Sexton who, until this year, would have been the first overall pick if I was ever going to draft a roster of guys who shoot the ball every time they touch it without ever looking at their teammates.
But this year has been different. He’s still not a great passer, but he’s far more willing, proven by his assist percentage which is up to 23 percent after back-to-back seasons of 15 percent. The combination of his improved playmaking with his increased usage rate and shooting efficiency has proven to make Sexton one of the fastest rising stars in the NBA.
But the Cavaliers aren’t hanging around in the playoff picture because of their offense. The spacing is terrible with how many bigs they play, but defensively they’ve made it work. They are surrendering good looks from three (opponents are making nearly 39 percent of 3-point attempts against them), but their length and effort are giving opposing teams problems. The star on that end is Larry Nance Jr. who leads the NBA in steals and deflections per game.
At best, the Cavaliers are a first-round exit in the playoffs. At worst, they’re a young team who plays hard and has provided a safe space for JaVale McGee to do JaVale McGee stuff. I think that’s a good deal for everyone.