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The record start of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atkinson effect – Play.it USA

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The record start of the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atkinson effect – Play.it USA

In a country at a standstill for the election of the new president, we cynically take advantage of the break for Election Day and write about everything but politics. And we’re talking about the hottest team in the NBA. Name and surname? Cleveland Cavaliers.

Already. Not the Boston Celtics, not the Milwaukee Bucks, not the Philadelphia 76ers, not the Denver Nuggets, not the Dallas Mavericks. Not the Oklahoma City Thunder (even if, record-wise, they’re close).

As always in basketball we let the numbers do the talking: 8-0. This is the record of the Ohio franchise, now in the hands of Kenny Atkinson. Who will they have played against? The question comes almost immediately.

Well, the truth is that of those eight games, only three were against teams that didn’t make the Playoffs last season (Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors and Washington Wizards). For the rest, Cleveland already has the scalps of the Milwaukee Bucks (2x), Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic on its board. Not bad, not bad at all.

The Mission impossible at Atkinson

The success – which still remains initial – of the Ohio Knights is a surprise. Or rather, there are very few who would have dared to predict it. And I’m not among them. Not because of major roster changes (there have been virtually zero).

Not for infirmary-level cataclysms. The reason is simple: the dismissal of coach JB Bickerstaff. Nothing against the replacement, Kenny Atkinson, but the decision of front office at the time it had sounded peculiar to say the least. Now? A little less.

Let’s go back to our good old data. Last year the Cavs were 15th in offensive rating and sixth in defensive rating. This season they are second and fourth respectively. With notable improvements in both halves of the pitch:

  • Offense: 115.2 to 121.5 points per 100 possessions
  • Defense: from 112.7 to 108.5 points per 100 possessions. The game is more fluid and faster, while maintaining the same players.

Il pacei.e. the number of possessions played (offensive and defensive) in 48 minutes of play, is very indicative. The Cavs went from a 97.2 (22nd in the league) to 100.6 (tenth). High play volume means more opportunities to score. Something that Cleveland does PRETTY well. Do we want data? Here are the data.

  • Shots taken per game: 46.1 (1st in the league, although shot attempt volume ranks 16th)
  • Field goal percentage: 52.3% (1°)
  • Two point percentage: 60.2% (1°)
  • Three point percentage: 41.3% (2nd in the league, while shooting fewer than 16 other NBA teams)
  • Effective field goal percentage: 60.9% (1°)
  • Assists per game: 28.3 (7th)
  • Turnovers: 12.4 (6th)

Ah, all this while shooting just 20 free throws per game (26th in the league).

And then, of course, there’s the defense. Here too many good numbers:

  • Steals: 9.9 (2nd)
  • Two point percentage allowed: 50.2% (6°)
  • Effective field goal percentage allowed: 52.6% (9°)
  • Turnover percentage: 14.8% (3°)

The concept seems clear to me. Lots of defense, high arms and long levers. And then go the other way and score. For goodness sake, it’s only eight games and everything will probably change. But what a show.

The key players

Is there really a need to name names? Let’s go in order then. Donovan Mitchell, the undisputed star and driving force of the Cavs, averages 23.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Important numbers, which hide other even more important numbers.

Because under Atkinson, in terms of efficiency from the field, Mitchell is having one of his best seasons ever. The three-point shot has never been so accurate (40.3%), the field goal percentage matches that of his best past year in this statistic, the first in Cleveland (48.4%). All while playing on average four minutes less per game compared to his previous season rookie… Translated: fewer shots, safer and more rested. A recipe that evidently works.

We then move on to two other undoubted protagonists. Darius Garland, after a limping season, appears to be back to being the dominant guard he showed he could be. Leaving behind the chatter about possible trades, here’s the old Darius again. Indeed, an even better version: 20.5 points, 2 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1 steal per game. Efficiency? Here too out of the roof: 52.5% from the field, 60% from two and 44.8% from three (all career bests, and not by a little). For a effective field goal percentage of 63.6% (and it’s not a center that just dunks). Pretty impressive.

Then, of course, Evan Mobley. In terms of scoring, he also had a season of clear growth. The averages are as follows: 17.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1 steal and 1.8 blocks per game. Efficiency? Oh yeah: from three fingers with 40% (40!!), from the free throw line with 84%, from two fingers with 56%. Not just any 4 or 5 numbers.

Next to him is his teammate Jarrett Allen: averaging a double double (15 points and 11.6 rebounds) with 68.6% from the field, a career-best figure. A offensive rating by 139.2 points per 100 possessions, fifth in the entire NBA. First? Cleveland’s sixth man Caris LeVert with 144.3, who despite not traveling at astronomical averages is still recording a 73.9 of effective field goal percentage. Amazing data achieved thanks to almost 70% efficiency from two and 52.4% from three. To these we should add Sam Merril and Ty Jerome, very positive surprises – or rediscoveries – who seem to have integrated perfectly into Atkinson’s system.

In short, there is a lot of beauty in these new but old Cavaliers. 8 games out of 82 have passed. The road is long, but the conditions are excellent. It is inevitable to calculate a decline (statistics and records) for a team that objectively on paper is less equipped than others to compete. But, as they say, dreaming costs nothing. However, all Cavs fans will certainly have only one thing in mind. To quote Donald Trump: “Stop the count”.

23 years old, struck since he was a child by the American world of NBA giants and NFL monsters, a wild fan of the Miami Heat and – it’s hard to say it – the Cincinnati Bengals. Very eager to resemble a Giannis, even a Herro would be enough, but condemned by mother nature to be a Muggsy Bogues, and a poor one at that.

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