5 Biggest Takeaways from Cleveland Cavaliers' 1st Half of the Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers' first half has been anything but boring.

With all the talk this summer circling around LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving forming the next championship trio, we've seen plenty of other storylines pop up as well.

Trades, injuries, shuffling lineups and a rejuvenated superstar have all taken their turn in the spotlight. Through it all, the Cavs are 26-20 as of Jan. 28, good for fifth place in the Eastern Conference.

With so many new faces (and more being added daily, it seems), who are these Cavaliers and how are they all coming together?

What about rookie coach David Blatt and his adjustment to the NBA after so much success overseas?

Here are the five most important lessons we've learned about the new-look Cavs thus far.

No. 5: Lack of Depth Exposed...and Fixed

USA TODAY Sports

An extra big man was on the Cavaliers' radar, even before starting center Anderson Varejao was lost for the season with a torn Achilles.

General manager David Griffin shared some of the Cavs' needs before a Jan. 4 game against the Dallas Mavericks:

"I think it's very clear that we have a real need for more size. Our team is versatile in that we can play multiple positions, but we're not terribly big. I'd like to improve that at multiple positions. So I think relative to what we need to do to improve, certainly we could address some talent issues, but more than anything else, what we need to do is address our fit and our size."

When discussing fit, Griffin needed someone to buy into the role as a spot-up shooter and defender, a job that Dion Waiters ultimately never played. Perimeter defense was a major concern as well, as Blatt was forced to start 36-year-old Shawn Marion to help fill the void.

Just a day after expressing his wish list, Griffin found a deal he liked.

On Jan. 5, the Cavaliers sent Waiters to the Oklahoma City Thunder. In return, they received the Thunder's 2015 first-round pick, as well as guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert from the New York Knicks.

Griffin later traded the Oklahoma City pick and an additional 2015 first-rounder (via the Memphis Grizzlies) to land 7'1" center Timofey Mozgov from the Denver Nuggets.

The three are helping Cleveland become deeper while also filling the needs Griffin was talking about. Mozgov and Smith have already been entrenched in the starting lineup, with Shumpert slowly recovering from a separated shoulder off the bench.

Mozgov gives the Cavaliers the extra big man they needed, and he is averaging 9.0 rebounds and a team-best 1.2 blocks thus far.

In nine games as the team's starting shooting guard, Smith is averaging 16.9 points on 40.7 percent shooting from deep. Shumpert may eventually take over the starting job, as he's a premier defender when healthy.

Altogether, the Cavs' new additions are playing a key role in the team's turnaround.

No. 4: Offense, Defense Pretty Much What We Expected

David Maxwell/Getty Images

Heading into the season, two bold predictions were continually made regarding the Cavaliers:

• The offense should be really, really good.
• The defense could be really, really bad.

So far, both have been pretty accurate.

Through 45 games, the Cavaliers are fifth in offensive rating (110.1) but just 25th in defensive rating (108.3).

When it comes to scoring the ball, the Cavs haven't had many problems. The combo of James, Love and Irving certainly set the tone, but other role players are stepping up as well.

One prime example is Tristan Thompson, who really has no post moves or jump shot to speak of. Thompson may not be putting up 20 points a night, but Cleveland is 6.3 points per 100 possessions better with him in the game, via 82games.com. 

Why? 

Thompson is averaging 3.8 offensive rebounds per game, tied for fourth-best in the NBA. He's constantly setting hard screens for James and Irving, freeing them up to drive to the basket. Smith (15.2 points) and Mozgov (9.8 points, 55.6 percent shooting) have contributed nicely to the offense as well.

On defense, the Cavs have allowed an even 100 points a contest, 14th-worst in the NBA.

Their main area of concern has come within five feet of the basket, where opponents are converting at a 62.4 percent clip, 29th overall per NBA.com.

The trade for the 7'1" Mozgov has been huge, pun not intended.

During their six-game win streak with Mozgov as the starting center, the Cavs have jumped 11 spots to 18th overall in opponent shooting within five feet (60.3 percent).

While this doesn't propel Cleveland to elite defender status, it does signify that teams are finding it a little tougher to score with the 28-year-old Russian inside.

No. 3: Chris Bosh Was Right About Kevin Love

USA TODAY Sports

Love is averaging 17.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.2 assists for the Cavaliers this season. While most would consider that a career year, it's actually been somewhat of a disappointment for the three-time All-Star.

His shot attempts are down, and Love has become more of a stretch 4 than the dominant post player we saw with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Chris Bosh, James' former teammate with the Miami Heat, predicted Love's struggles in the preseason, telling Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick the following:

"

It's going to be very difficult for him. Even if I was in his corner and I was able to tell him what to expect and what to do, it still doesn't make any difference. You still have to go through things, you still have to figure out things on your own. It's extremely difficult and extremely frustrating. He's going to have to deal with that.

"

Over halfway through the season, the Cavaliers still aren't using Love correctly. His ideal balance should be a mixture of receiving the ball on the low block and occasionally flaring out to the three-point line. The Cavs don't run nearly enough pick-and-rolls or pick-and-pops with Love, something he thrived on the past six years.

Instead, we continually see Love drifting out to the three-point line, where he's struggled for most of the season. With his superior footwork, Cleveland is missing out on a lot of easy baskets by keeping Love out of the paint.

Only 23.7 percent of Love's shot attempts have come from within three feet of the hoop. Over the course of his career, Love has attempted 34.1 percent of his shots from this vicinity.

On the flip side, 36.2 percent of Love's offense is coming from the three-point line, a career high. Despite this large volume, he's connecting on just 34.1 percent.

James is thriving. Irving has continued to play his natural game. It's now up to the Cavaliers to get Love more involved as well.

No. 2: David Blatt Has Weathered the Storm, Adjusting Well to NBA

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Not long ago, a report surfaced from ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst questioning Blatt's authority over the Cavaliers, saying:

"

They (scouts, executives and rival players) see players appearing to run different plays than the bench calls, see assistant coach Tyronn Lue calling timeouts literally behind Blatt's back during games, and hear Cavs players openly talking about coaching issues with opposing players and personnel. Not once, not twice, but frequently over the past several months.

"

Blatt, who rarely shows much emotion with reporters, shot back when told of the story.

"That's a lot of nonsense, and I think it's kind of cheap, to be honest with you," Blatt said, via Chris Haynes of the Northeast Ohio Media Group.

It marked a significant moment in his evolution as a coach, and it may have sparked some life into the Cavaliers as well. Cleveland is 7-0 since the report was released.

Even though he's an intelligent and experienced coach, one of Blatt's best moves had nothing to do with basketball at all.

Following two tough weeks where the Cavs dropped seven of eight games without James, Blatt surprised the team by cancelling practice for an afternoon of bowling instead.

"I think it was a surprise for most guys," Love told Haynes. "It just helped so much. We all needed a break from it all."

On the court, Blatt has been doing a better job drawing up plays, leading timeouts and establishing a consistent rotation. He's seems more comfortable by the day, and the Cavaliers are responding better than ever.

No. 1: Everything Still Revolves Around LeBron James

Stephen Dunn/Getty Images

As good as Irving and Love may be, the Cavaliers will ultimately only go as far as James can carry them.

We've seen a completely different team when James is in and out of the lineup.

Cleveland is 25-12 with James active and a putrid 1-8 without him. The Cavs couldn't even muster a win against the Philadelphia 76ers, and they lost to the Sacramento Kings by 19 while James was on his two-week rest period.

With him, they've taken down an impressive list of contenders, including the Atlanta Hawks, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls (twice).

The players feed off of James and his energy. On the sidelines, he's an extension of the coaching staff. James is constantly pointing out assignments, talking to the younger players and sharing what he sees. In the locker room, he's usually one of the more vocal players, cracking jokes and keeping everyone loose.

Cleveland scores 114.3 points per 100 possessions with James on the court and just 104.7 while he rests. Defensively, the Cavs allow 6.6 fewer points during that same time with him in the lineup, per 82games.com.

Would the Cavaliers even be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference without James? Maybe, maybe not.

With him, however, they should still be considered championship contenders this season.

Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers for Bleacher Report since 2010.

All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Quotes obtained firsthand unless sourced.