5 Hidden Bright Spots for the Cleveland Cavaliers So Far
LeBron James is once again good at basketball. Kevin Love's hair is a glorious mess. Matthew Dellavedova still has the best accent on the Cleveland Cavaliers.
All would be considered early bright spots, although none can be labeled as hidden. Instead, one must search deeper to find keys to success in Cleveland's Eastern Conference-leading 14-7 start.
These five hidden bright spots may not be what we all expected, but all help to paint the picture of the season's quarter mark.
Taming the Wild West
For years, the East was considered the little brother to the mighty Western Conference. After all, a losing record could earn a playoff spot in the former while playing well above .500 ball out West didn't necessarily guarantee a postseason appearance.
Now the tides are beginning to turn, spearheaded by the Cavaliers.
A whopping 10 teams in the East are currently sporting a winning record. In the West? Just six.
Cleveland is already off to a 3-1 start against their out-of-conference opponents, racking up wins against the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers.
This continues a trend of sheer regular-season dominance against the West dating back to Jan. 15. Since that time, the Cavs' 17-2 mark is the best of any NBA team.
Of course, the showdown everyone is looking forward to comes Christmas Day, when the Cavaliers make their only trip to Oakland, California. The Golden State Warriors (currently 23-0) may still be undefeated then, putting that perfect record to the test against Cleveland, who finished 3-5 against the defending champions in their eight meetings last season.
The Cavaliers have been absolute giant killers when it comes to the Western Conference. They'll have to be in their toughest matchup of the year, come Dec. 25.
Peanut Butter Delly Time
All hail King Delly, and may we marvel at what an impact the undrafted free agent from Maryborough, Australia, has made on a championship-caliber team.
We learned in Dellavedova's first season what kind of energy and defense he can provide. By Year 2, an impressive shooting stroke was beginning to form, evidenced by his 40.7 percent success rate from deep.
Now, passing and efficiency is the name of the game. On a team with so many stars and players that need the ball, Dellavedova is perfectly content sharing the wealth while also limiting his mistakes.
Indeed, it is not Chris Paul nor reigning MVP Steph Curry who leads the NBA in assist-to-turnover ratio, but Delly, with his 3.71 mark.
While his minutes and role will inevitably be cut when Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert make their respective returns to the court, coach David Blatt still has to find court time for Dellavedova.
No longer just a hustler, one of Cleveland's smallest players is making one of its biggest differences.
Controlling the Glass
Rebounding was a challenge at times for the Cavaliers last season, as they finished 18th in the league with 43.0 per game.
Winning teams rebound, and it was clear that Cleveland needed to be better.
Led by Love and Tristan Thompson, the Cavs have become elite.
Shooting up 11 spots, all the way to No. 7, the Cavaliers are now pulling down 45.9 boards per game. Their ability to control the glass has been even better. Opponents are averaging just 40.9, for a difference of 5.0 rebounds per night. This gap represents the third-largest in the association, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder (plus-7.9) and San Antonio Spurs (plus-5.8).
Love is fourth in the league with his 11.8 boards per game, while Thompson leads all reserves with 10.1 (good for ninth overall in the NBA).
Small Ball Starting to Work
In a league that's transforming from big and slow to small and fast, the Cavs have been reluctant to evolve.
In a perfect world, Cleveland would keep their big lineups, headlined by a frontcourt of James, Love, Thompson, and at times, 7'1" Timofey Mozgov. As evidenced by their downfall against the Warriors in the NBA Finals, however, the Cavaliers may just have to adapt.
Quietly, this has been the recipe to beat the Cavs. Go small and let them try to make the necessary adjustments to catch up.
Mozgov's minutes have dropped to under 20 a night while players like Dellavedova, Richard Jefferson and Jared Cunningham have received more time. Blatt hasn't established a set small lineup (especially with no Irving and Shumpert), but he recently proved the Cavs can play either style.
During a 105-100 win over the Trail Blazers on Dec. 8, the Cavaliers trailed by 18 points in the first half. They chose to play Cunningham over Mozgov in the second half, using his speed and defense to help slow down Portland's backcourt.
The Cavs held the Trail Blazers to just 44 second-half points as a result, overcoming the huge deficit by making the necessary personnel adjustments, something they'll likely have to do in the future as well.
LeBron's Fourth-Quarter Dominance
James' success in the fourth quarter may not be hidden, but it has been surprising to see just how well the four-time MVP has come through late in games.
Although he entered the season with a bad back and recently asked to sit out of a back-to-back contest, James has saved his best basketball for when he's most tired.
According to a graphic used by Fox Sports Ohio against the Trail Blazers, James leads the NBA in fourth- quarter points (163) and plus/minus rating (plus-80). He's also second in assists (35) and third in free throws attempted (68).
Not only is James showing off his ability to take over games, he's doing so without having to play the entire period. His minutes in the final quarter (178) rank just 17th in the league.
For now, the soon-to-be 31-year-old is looking spry and coming through when the Cavs need him the most.
Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @CavsGregBR. Stats via Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise sourced and are current as of Dec. 8.
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