Cleveland Cavaliers' Backcourt Is Growing Up Before Our Eyes
During the second half of the season, one of the best parts of the Cleveland Cavaliers has been the evolution of their talented, up-and-coming backcourt.
Kyrie Irving enjoyed a career year, the additions of J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert have been imperative, and Matthew Dellavedova has proved to be a perfect glue guy and teammate off the bench.
All have brought different skill sets, abilities and intangibles to the table. All have contributed to the Cavaliers' 34-9 record to end the season in their own unique ways, as noted below in their per game (points, assists, steals) and season (player efficiency rating, three-point shooting, offensive and defensive ratings) statistics.
Now with the postseason in progress, this young, versatile backcourt is key to Cleveland's success. The best part? It's only improving more by the day.
Getting Buckets
All four Cavalier guards offer a different style of offensive help.
Irving is the table-setter who can score in a plethora of ways. No one will confuse him for a true point guard, and that's OK. He's perfectly content playing with the ball or off it, something the Cavs tried desperately to coax out of former guard Dion Waiters.
On one possession, Irving can handle the ball in a pick-and-roll. On the next, he could run off a screen and knock down a catch-and-shoot three-pointer. Irving converted an impressive 46.6 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes in the regular season, a number he's bumped up to 57.1 percent in the playoffs, according to NBA.com.
It's this kind of versatility, combined with a killer handle and the ability to finish with either hand, that has made him so special. Just 23 years of age, Irving is averaging 23.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 50 percent shooting from deep in the Cavaliers' first three playoff games.
Smith's shot was off early against the Boston Celtics before finding its target again in Game 3.
He's become so good at spotting up and spacing the floor that the Cavs have been great offensively even when Smith occasionally slumps. Opponents still have to respect his range and ability to fire off contested fadeaway jumpers with surprising accuracy.
While he's putting up just 10.3 points on 36.4 percent shooting thus far, Cleveland's offense hasn't suffered. In fact, Smith has the team's highest on/off rating (plus-10.7), even with a slow start to the postseason.
Coach David Blatt didn't seem too concerned about Smith's 3-of-12 shooting performance in Game 2. “Tell him to keep shooting,” Blatt said of his advice to Smith, per ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin. “Take his good looks and tell him to keep shooting, that's just what I've told him.”
The veteran of the backcourt at age 29, Smith has been the floor-spacing shooting guard the Cavaliers craved.
Shumpert and Dellavedova don't carry nearly the scoring responsibility that Irving and Smith do, which suits both of them just fine.
Instead, Shumpert relies on his athleticism while cutting to the basket and getting out in transition. Dellavedova prefers to help keep others involved on offense and rarely shoots anything besides open three-pointers. He finished second on the Cavaliers with a 40.7 percent success rate from deep. The Cavs backcourt is shooting 39.6 percent on three-pointers since the All-Star break, good for third in the NBA, according to Hoops Stats.
Cleveland can use its guards in a number of ways offensively, led by Irving's impressive scoring acumen.
Digging in on D
With so many talented guards in the NBA today, backcourt defense is crucial.
Irving's struggles on this end of the court have been no secret, although the fourth-year pro has made some nice strides this season. His effort level has increased, no doubt thanks to James' presence and Cleveland's winning ways.
As James told Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal back in March:
"He’s grown every single day. He has gotten more serious with the game, understanding what this moment can be for himself and us as a team. He’s the head of the snake for us, being the point guard, being the catalyst, starting it off defensively. He’s been great.
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The Cavaliers are actually 2.6 points per 100 possessions better defensively this postseason with Irving in the game. Boston's shooting, assist and steal percentage have all rocketed when Irving leaves the court.
Thanks to the arrival of Smith and Shumpert, Irving no longer has to cover the opponent's best guard, either.
This is Shumpert's area to shine. His size (6'5", 212 lbs) and athleticism allow him to handle multiple positions. It's easy to see the passion and pride he has for the defensive end, as he's always active, in position and playing passing lanes. Unsurprisingly, Shumpert had the best defensive rating (104) of any Cavalier this season.
His assignment against the Celtics? Only their leading scorer and runner-up for Sixth Man of the Year, Isaiah Thomas. He led Boston with 19.0 points per game in the regular season and averaged 22.0 over the series' first two contests.
After getting run around in Cleveland, Shumpert locked in during Game 3. The game plan clearly revolved around stopping Thomas, something Shumpert seemed determined to do. The Cavaliers backcourt cut down on Thomas' dribble penetration, a skill the 5'9" guard was so good at all season. Thomas finished Game 3 with just five points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field.
Dellavedova hasn't gotten a lot of playing time, but he always makes every second count. For what he lacks in athleticism, he makes up for in sheer effort and hustle.
Smith has been the biggest surprise of the group. He's appeared engaged defensively at all times following the trade, willing to take on whatever challenge may await.
Although Smith struggled with his shot in Game 2, Blatt decided to ride him for long stretches because of his defensive intensity, notes McMenamin: "He played, I believe, 34 minutes. Obviously not because he was making every shot, but because he was so defensively locked in and so active and deflecting the ball and stealing the ball and being engaged in great one-on-one play. That's why he was on the floor."
While Irving has led the offensive charge, it's been more of a group effort headlined by Shumpert on D.
Beyond the Game
We knew coming into the postseason that Irving could score the ball, Shumpert played defense and Smith wasn't afraid to shoot at will.
It's the deeper questions and storylines that can now be answered and dissected.
Irving has experienced plenty of individual success in the past by winning Rookie of the Year, All-Star MVP and FIBA Basketball MVP this past summer. What people truly wanted to see was if he could continue this high level of play in meaningful games surrounded by All-Star teammates.
If anything, Irving has only been better. He's played the role of sidekick, or rather second superstar, perfectly next to James. His 25-plus points in back-to-back playoff games made him the first James teammate to do so with the Cavaliers. Irving has done nothing but shine in the spotlight while stepping up his efforts on defense.
Smith has shaken off prior reputations, becoming a model of consistency, professionalism and hard work. He showed up to Game 3's morning shootaround in Boston an hour earlier than required, a far cry from his playoff habits of old.
While his offense never left, Smith has now transformed into a solid two-way shooting guard, a role he seems to be accepting and enjoying.
Shumpert and Dellavedova are bringing the energy and defense off the bench. Both could have bigger, more enticing roles elsewhere, but they appear to have bought into what the Cavaliers need. Shumpert could eventually develop into one of the NBA's elite defensive players, while Dellavedova is becoming the type of player every team wants on its side.
The Cavs backcourt, once an area filled with question marks early in the season, has now become a strength of the team.
Cleveland needs its guards to continue their growth, in this postseason and beyond.
Greg Swartz has covered the Cleveland Cavaliers and NBA for Bleacher Report since 2010. All stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.
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