The Cavs are proving everyone wrong

You were wrong about the Cavaliers.

The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t supposed to be this good.

Not according to what we’ve heard about this roster over recent years. The core four can’t coexist. Two undersized guards next to two bigs just isn’t a blueprint for success in the modern NBA, right?

Cleveland’s current 44-10 record (tied for best in the league) seems to conflict with that narrative. The chemistry and cohesiveness they’ve displayed all season isn’t what you’d expect from a team that doesn’t fit together.

The Cavs have become a historic scoring team with an Offensive Rating (123.9 points per 100 possessions) that outpaces even last year’s champions, the Boston Celtics. This is staggering for a team that routinely plays two bigs together – something that was recognized as a fundamental flaw in the roster.

Yet every metric will tell you the Cavaliers have shattered expectations and broken into title contention. The eye test will leave you even more encouraged. But how did this roster make that leap in today’s NBA? How was everyone so wrong about this team – and what did it take for them to break the code?

Elephant in the Room

Some of the smartest minds in basketball look like fools for doubting the Cavaliers.

But, their original concerns were not unwarranted. The Cavs had some very real obstacles to overcome before getting to this point. More are surely still on the horizon. Let’s quickly acknowledge those previous flaws in the roster to better understand how far Cleveland has come.

Playing two non-shooting bigs together is a massive hurdle. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen might make the Cavs an elite defensive team – but their cost to the offense was becoming hard to ignore. The floor was cramped and the Cavs frequently struggled to score at the same rate as their peers. This was undeniable in the playoffs when teams could exploit Cleveland’s greatest weakness for an entire series. The Cavs finished bottom three in offensive rating each of their last two postseason appearances.

As for the guards, striking a balance between two high-usage players isn’t easy. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell often felt disconnected. They each could deliver big games but rarely at the same time. It was as if each player took separate turns at the steering wheel rather than working harmoniously to keep the engine running at maximum power. Unlocking one star without burying the other was another hurdle this team had to clear.

Again, this was highlighted in the playoffs. Neither guard found a rhythm in their five-game blunder to the New York Knicks. Then in their follow-up, Mitchell was left hanging as the only Cavalier who could break free against Orlando.

With all of that in mind, I can’t blame anyone for thinking Cleveland’s path to becoming a contender was blocked by too many obstacles. But now let’s talk about how they’ve navigated every single one – led by this season’s frontrunner for Coach of the Year.

A Breath of Fresh Air

Kenny Atkinson took the head coaching job this summer knowing what obstacles faced ahead of him. He immediately spoke about the importance of meshing Garland and Mitchell while stressing that Mobley’s ascension was key to everything. Many believed this would be impossible – Garland’s issues were a result of his fit next to Mitchell, and Mobley’s stagnant development was a symptom of it all. The only way to solve this was by splitting up the band.

Thankfully, Atkinson had a vision and implemented a new system to perfection. Garland, Mitchell and Mobley are flourishing together. All three made it to the All-Star game this season and are arguably playing at an All-NBA level. Comparing Atkions’s style and background to that of Cleveland’s previous head coach offers some insight.

Bickerstaff spent years as an assistant coach in Houston before getting the head coaching job in 2015. His time with James Harden is an influence that Bickerstaff has clearly carried to each of his subsequent jobs. He replicated key principles of that heliocentric style with his two guards in Cleveland – and he’s doing it again with Cade Cunningham in Detroit.

Basketball can be a simple game. Thus, the Cavs embraced simplicity under Bickerstaff. The two guards essentially served as one James Harden as the Cavalier offense revolved around guard-big pick and rolls. Everyone else was expected to stand around and space the floor. This can only take you so far in the NBA – and it’s why Bickerstaff has gradually expanded his philosophy as his career goes on.

Atkinson’s Influence

Now flip to Atkinson. The free-flowing offense we currently see in Cleveland has drawn comparisons to the Golden State Warriors. It’s no coincidence that Atkinson learned that very same offense as Steve Kerr’s assistant before joining the Cavs. Bringing this style to Cleveland was a no-brainer.

Atkinson has ramped up the tempo (jolting Cleveland to the 7th fastest pace compared to 24th last year) with an emphasis on quick-hitting actions that get everyone involved. It’s a direct contrast to the methodical, one-man army approach from before. But that’s the strength of a team with three All-Stars and a fourth starter who just barely missed the cut. No one has to carry a heavy load when the team is deep enough to share the weight.

Take this for perspective. Darius Garland averaged 34.9 minutes per game across his previous three seasons with Bickerstaff. This year, he’s played above 35 minutes just twice in 52 games. This trend goes down the roster – with Donovan Mitchell being the only Cavalier to break 40 minutes in a game this season – and he’s only done it once compared to eight times last year.

To be clear, not everyone can replicate the Warriors’ offense. For example, Bickerstaff won’t magically make the Pistons a contender by asking them to play the same way Atkinson is instructing the Cavs. Heliocentricism is a crutch for teams with star players who lack enough depth to truly compete. It’s why Cunningham is an All-Star but the Pistons are only 29-26 this season. You need a wealth of talent to play like the Warriors. That’s what the Cavaliers have.

This is important because you rarely win an NBA championship without the best player in the world for any given season. The only exception is when a team is built with multiple stars who can bridge the gap together. Think of the 2004 Detroit Pistons, 2011 Dallas Mavericks or even the 2024 Boston Celtics. None of those teams relied on a super-duper star to carry them. They embraced team basketball in a way Aktinson currently has the Cavaliers playing.

Individual Growth

While Atkinson deserves all of the credit in the world – there is another half to this story. As already stated, a coach can’t magically make the players something they aren’t. Bickerstaff had his limitations in Cleveland… but so did his players. Atkinson has inherited a far better version of the Cavaliers in what has created the perfect storm of coaching and player development.

Garland and Mitchell’s dilemma was more than a coaching issue. They had to learn how to play together. Mitchell took strides as a playmaker last season to abide by this. It was Garland who lagged behind Mitchell’s timeline – searching for the appropriate level of aggression to complement Mitchell’s scoring. He’s found that this season.

The Cavs hold the league’s best offense because Garland has developed into a complete player. He’s attacking the rim at a career-best rate, shooting three-pointers with confidence and wreaking havoc as a playmaker. Garland’s efficiency has made him the perfect backcourt partner next to Mitchell and a nightmare for opposing teams.

Meanwhile, Mobley has become a walking mismatch. He’s using his size to bully smaller defenders and his speed to torch slower bigs. Mobley’s confidence is surging with as many 25+ point games in one week of February as he did all of last season combined (3). His career-high of 18.5 points per game has unlocked so much for Cleveland because containing the backcourt is daunting when this version of Mobley is their release vale.

More, Mobley is shooting three-pointers at a rate nearly three times higher than a year ago. He’s jumped from 1.2 attempts per game to 2.8, all while shooting a career-best 37.8% from deep. This expansion of Mobley’s game makes his fit with Allen tangible. The Cavs are scoring 124.8 points per 100 possessions (96th percentile) with both bigs on the floor this season compared to just 112.8 points (36th percentile) the year before.

Staying True to Yourself

The synergy between Cleveland’s core didn’t exist like this before. Coaching is a factor, yes. But multiple years of developing together is just as important. Continuity has given this team a chance to fill each other’s gaps. Even the supporting cast has greatly improved since the start, with the additions of Max Strus, Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill and now De’Andre Hunter giving the team enough firepower to truly compete.

The Cavs are a reminder that there is no singular blueprint for success in the NBA. Teams weren’t encouraged to shoot three-pointers before the Warriors broke through in 2015. The idea of a shambling big like Nikola Jokic leading a title team was laughable in today’s game before 2023. Doubts of Cleveland’s core might suffer the same fate if they continue to dominate this year.

There is still the biggest test of all, of course. Proving it in the playoffs. What the final months of the season bring is impossible to predict. But what we’ve learned so far is this: You can’t replicate what you don’t have. It would have been foolish for the Cavs to trade a member of their core four to become an inferior version of the Celtics (like a fellow Eastern Conference team did).

You can only play to your strengths in the NBA. Banking on internal growth was always the best shot Cleveland had at a title. Through 54 games, they have done that to the max.