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NBA Playoffs 2016: Are The Cleveland Cavaliers Feeling The Love Again?

By Carter Johnson

Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) high fives forward Kevin Love (0) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 22, 2016; Auburn Hills, MI, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) high fives forward Kevin Love (0) and center Tristan Thompson (13) during the fourth quarter against the Detroit Pistons in game three of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Mandatory Credit: Tim Fuller-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers’ team chemistry seems to be at full strength in the first round, but are their regular season woes really behind them?

It’s been a great first round series so far for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James is in full-blown Zero Dark Thirty-23 mode, averaging 23.0 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. Kyrie Irving is looking like the stud he was a year ago, leading the team in scoring for the series with 26.3 points a night and shooting 52.2 percent from downtown, a drastic improvement from the 32.1 percent he posted during the regular season.

Even Kevin Love has gotten into the act and looked the part of the third star this series, putting up double-doubles in each game against a tough Detroit Pistons frontcourt on his way to averages of 21.3 points per game and 11.7 boards per game. J.R. Smith is connecting from three at a 43.2 percent clip and Tristan Thompson overcame quiet nights in Games 1 and 2 to put up eight points, 10 boards and two blocks in Game 3.

The Cavs took a serious shot from the Detroit Pistons in a game where every starter scored in double figures and the outcome was decided in the final minutes and they came out on top — not due to a LeBron takeover, but with solid team play, including a beautifully executed inbounds play to get Irving the wide open, game-clinching shot:

The team is clicking on all cylinders despite playing a tough, physical Pistons team, and all seems right with the Eastern Conference favorite once more.

But is it?

Sure, the camaraderie seems to have returned after the deep wounds that were garnered during the regular season by everything from Kyrie trade rumors to cryptic LeBron tweets. Heck, LeBron’s been the happiest we’ve seen him in a while over the last two games:

But have they really overcome their on-court issues?

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Their defensive woes were a big issue towards the latter part of the season and don’t seem to be improving thus far in the first round. They’re seventh best in the postseason in opponent points per game at 94.0 a night, but are allowing their opponents to shoot 47.6 percent from the field, which is 0.1 ahead of — ironically — the Pistons for the fifth worst mark among playoff teams.

Their offense has been incredibly potent in this series, but that is mostly due to the improved play of their Big Three. The trio is averaging a combined 70.6 points per game on a 49.5 field goal percentage while the rest of the team is 45.1 percent from the field.

While the Pistons are a viable opponent, they have no where near the amount of sheer star power that Cleveland has and one has to imagine that these fantastic offensive numbers will only decrease as the Cavs move on to tougher matchups in the rounds to come.

More hoops habit: 2016 NBA Playoffs: Each Team's Week 1 MVP

But for now, fans can celebrate the fact that their stars are playing up to par, their team appears to have gotten their swagger back and they are rolling full speed ahead through the first round on their quest to reclaim their crown as Eastern Conference champs and attempt to bring The Land its first NBA championship.