Cavaliers Show Glimpse of Offensive Potential in Record-Setting Win
CLEVELAND — As a player, Dominique Wilkins typically soared high in the air. But when it came to assessing the Cleveland Cavaliers, prior to watching the Atlanta Hawks face them Saturday night, the former Human Highlight Film kept the analysis pretty grounded.
"People don't realize, when you have three great players on team, first time all these guys playing together, it takes time," Wilkins said. "Their tendencies of knowing what each other love to do, is not there yet. Believe me, you've got the best player in the league, you've got three of the best players in the league, they'll figure it out....But as fans, you got to be patient. It ain't gonna happen overnight."
You wouldn't have known it on this night, however.
The Cavaliers put on their most impressive performance of the young season and, in terms of ball-sharing and range shooting, one of the more prolific in franchise and NBA history.
No team in NBA history had ever made at least nine three-point shots in one quarter without a miss, until the Cavaliers did that in the first quarter, with three from LeBron James, two from Kevin Love and rising rookie Joe Harris, and one apiece from Dion Waiters and the shot-putting Shawn Marion. No team in Cavaliers history had made more than 17 in a game, until this one sank 19 against Atlanta, led by four apiece from James, Kyrie Irving and Harris.
"We felt like we had good energy to start with, they just flat-out were shooting the ball real well," Hawks center Al Horford said, after the 127-94 loss. "They were way better than us tonight."
They were way better than they've been at any point so far this season, though there have been signs of such an eruption. The Cavaliers have been increasingly accurate from the field in every outing since the pathetic night in Portland, when they connected at a 36.5 percent rate—to 41.7 percent in the loss at Utah, and then 47.6, 49.4, 50.6 and now 54.4 percent during their four-game winning streak.
The Hawks had been even hotter coming in, making 51.3 percent and 56.0 percent of their shots in wins against Utah and Miami, respectively, as part of a four-game streak. They had also established themselves as the league's top assist rate team, buying into Mike Budenholzer's system like they had last season.
Asked to assess how the Hawks have accomplished that, Cavaliers coach David Blatt put it this way prior to the game:
"A lot of times assists have to do with shooting percentages. They got a lot of shotmakers on that team. You'd be hard pressed to find a better shotmaker than Kyle Korver, and his baskets are not coming 1-on-1. They are coming from designed plays. Or fast break, spot up threes that come from a pass. And they do a great job moving the ball. And they've got continuity, which not every team enjoys. Which is kind of what I like about our team, in terms of how we're coming around offensively. Because we didn't have that kind of continuity, yet here we are, passing the ball and scoring points, and showing good movement of late, which is a very positive thing.
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Then, once the game started, his team out-Hawked the visitors.
In the loss to Utah on Nov. 5, the Cavaliers had six assists.
"We've learned from that," James said. "We know that, in order to win basketball games, in order for everyone to feel comfortable, we have to share the ball."
Saturday, they had five players with at least five assists.
Dion Waiters, who had a total of five passes against the Jazz, according to SportVu data, led the team with eight assists Saturday.
The Cavaliers had 39 in all, on 49 field goals. Seven different players converted at least four shots.
"A lot of equal opportunity for everybody," Love said.
"Everyone was involved, everyone was in tune with the offense, and that was huge," said James, who scored 73 points on 29-of-47 shooting in the back-to-back wins against Boston and Atlanta. "And that was huge."
It led to some huge numbers.
"The ball was just moving," Irving said. "Guys were getting open shots in rhythm. Guys were hitting each other in the shooting pocket. Like I said before, guys were setting great screens as well, and getting each other open."
Which left James feeling like the Cavaliers are getting closer—at least on one end—to what he wants them to be.
"Offensively, we are," James said. "We're on the right page. Still got a long way to go."
That's true, even on a night in which Cleveland could hardly miss from long range.
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