Cleveland Cavaliers Are Boring and Want to Stay That Way

CLEVELAND — Comparisons to those consistent San Antonio Spurs teams of the Tim Duncan era have already begun: The Cleveland Cavaliers are boring.

That's by design.

Every summer brings NBA roster upheaval through free agency and trades. However, given how much LeBron James prizes continuity, the Cavs have elected to maintain their core for the last two seasons while swapping a few minor bench pieces.

The result? Two NBA Finals appearances, one title and the current top seed in the Eastern Conference.

"Having the same nucleus definitely helps," James said Tuesday. "It's helped fast-track the camaraderie and the chemistry. You don't have to add too many guys where we're all learning the system or learning what we need to do to win."

A look at James' career shows what maintaining a tangible core can mean to a player of his stature. In seasons in which four players who started the previous campaign returned—28 games started is the cutoff—his teams have made it to the NBA Finals five times and won three titles.

In all other seasons, James' teams have made it to the Finals twice and lost both times.

In his first stint in Cleveland, after a surprise Finals trip in 2006-07, the Cavaliers consistently targeted a rotating cast of big-name (but long in the tooth) pieces like Shaquille O'Neal, Antawn Jamison and Ben Wallace.

During James' initial Cleveland tenure, the Cavaliers struggled to get past the Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons, both of which had a steady core.

But James largely found roster consistency in Miami. Through all four seasons with the Heat, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Mario Chalmers started at least 28 games alongside James. The rotation also had a firm list that included Ray Allen, Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem.

That team was in the NBA Finals every season.

Oscar Baldizon/Getty Images

As James told reporters in 2013 after Miami's second straight championship, keeping that core together was key to winning titles: "This is what we came here for. That would be the ultimate. But I don't know. Life changes, things happen, and you have to be prepared for that. But this is what we all want to be here for. And that's to be able to compete for a championship every year. If we can do that, then it would be awesome."

Since returning to the Cavaliers, not much has changed—which is for the best.

Outside of the David Blatt-Tyronn Lue coaching swap, consistency has continued. In James' first two seasons back, he, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and J.R. Smith have started at least 45 games each year and gone to the Finals both times. They are on a similar games-played pace in 2016-17, barring unforeseen injury.

Furthermore, the Cavaliers have maintained a core of those four players—plus Tristan Thompson and Iman Shumpert—since a midseason trade with the New York Knicks during James' first season back. The current squad has eight rotation players back from last year's team when you add in Channing Frye and Richard Jefferson.

"You understand one another," Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue said Monday. "You know everyone's weakness. You cover for each other's weaknesses. You play well together. You know where they want the ball. You know their spots."

The Cavaliers did lose key rotation pieces Matthew Dellavedova and Timofey Mozgov this past offseason, but rather than replace them with new players, the team chose to largely fill their roles from within.

It isn't just the Cavaliers who follow this pattern. Of the last 10 NBA champions, eight have brought back at least four players from the previous season that started 28 games or more. The 2007-08 Boston Celtics and the 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks are the exceptions.

Roster consistency shows through chemistry, and this group of Cavaliers is currently among the NBA's best at displaying it. Over the last four months, members of the team have gotten together for a Kanye West concert, Cleveland Indians playoff games, a Halloween party at James' house and the Michigan-Ohio State game.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

"We just enjoy playing for one another, and everything else is extra credit," James said early in December. "We don't do it for people to see what we're doing and for recognition. We do it for support. We're always together. Nothing changes when the camera is off for us."

There can, though, be an intimidating flip side to having an established core: being the new guy. When you are one of the few new pieces to enter the Cavaliers locker room, you don't want to disrupt the chemistry in place.

"I just try to stay out of the way—know when to laugh and know when to be serious," said DeAndre Liggins, who is in his first season with Cleveland. "I'm a quiet guy, so I don't really say much except when I'm on the court communicating with these guys."

But Liggins, who has played for four different teams in four NBA seasons, noticed an immediate welcoming aspect from the Cavaliers core.

"It's a great group of guys—guys who won a championship last year," he said Monday. "They're obviously a close group of guys also. These guys are great. In the locker room, even on our downtime, these guys are funny. They're just good to be around."

Still, while it might seem like this Cavaliers group has been together for a long time, it hasn't even been a unit for two full seasons.

That pales in comparison to more established cores like those of the Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. Those three franchises have emerged as perennial playoff teams in the NBA’s Western Conference and stayed together, although which fact causes the other is up for debate (winning often allows continuity, which makes it easier to win more).

The San Antonio Spurs have been the standard-bearers during most of the Gregg Popovich era. Even with Tim Duncan's retirement, the Spurs have veteran pieces like Kawhi Leonard, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Danny Green to carry the torch lit nearly 20 years ago.

That is not lost on James, who said, "We're still trying to catch up." That gives every indication this Cavaliers group isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Cavaliers Notebook

LeBron wins second SI Sportsperson of the Year award

This past week, LeBron James was honored in New York City for winning the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year Award. The award has been given since 1954, but only James—who also won in 2012—and Tiger Woods have earned the distinction twice.

What does that mean to James right now?

"Not much," he said. "My journey is still continuing. It's still going down the path of trying to do what I need to do to continue to build what I've built for my family. When I'm done, I'll have time to reflect then."

This is consistent to his normal answers about reflection, and he's walked the walk about continuing to build on and off the court. Over the last 10 years, James is the only NBA player to win the award. Only eight basketball players have ever received the honor.

A surprise rotation piece

Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images

There are 10 different Cavaliers players averaging at least 13 minutes per game this season. Nine are established NBA veterans, the exception being the NBA journeyman Liggins.

Since being drafted out of Kentucky in 2011, Liggins has played for four NBA teams and never logged more than 39 games during a season. But this year, he's appeared in 16 of the team's 24 games.

While Liggins' per-game numbers (3.1 points and 1.9 rebounds) aren't impressive, Lue likes what the guard brings to the team and sees room for growth.

"He has the opportunity to be a great outside shooter," Lue said. "The defense is great. He can guard 1s, 2s and 3s. Offensively, he has to knock down an open shot."

Liggins has emerged as a stopper at times while also filling in at the backup point guard spot. He gives Cleveland a young, fresh body to help ease other players' minutes.

Long-range specialists

Ron Hoskins/Getty Images

Cleveland shot the ball at 36.2 percent from three-point range a season ago, but that number is currently up to 39.9 percent, which is tied for best in the NBA. Over the last six years, the Golden State Warriors are the only team to shoot 40 percent or better from deep over the course of a campaign (2015-16 and 2012-13).

Look no further than the team's three best players for why Cleveland has improved from long range. James is up from 30.9 to 35.0 percent from last season, Irving from 32.1 to 43.0 and Love from 36.0 to 41.1.

Credit also Channing Frye, who is shooting a career-best 45.8 percent from three this season, which is fifth-best in the NBA. He came to Cleveland midway through last season and has helped stretch the floor.

In an offense heavy on three-pointers, the Cavs will often rotate the ball until they get the best look from long range. So far, their approach seems to be paying off.

All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Stats are accurate as of Dec. 15, 2016, from Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.