Cleveland Cavaliers: Cavs About To Reach Top Gear

The Cleveland Cavaliers have done well despite the absence of Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert. But with the two scheduled to return soon, the rest of the East should be worried.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are unsurprisingly top of the Eastern Conference with a 13-4 record. They have handled their opposition without too much fuss, and after a slow start to the season, have started to hit their stride – reminding everyone just who the top dog in the East is.

Perhaps the surprising part of it all is that the Cavaliers have been missing their starting backcourt – Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert, for the entirety of the season so far. Instead, the Cavs have been starting J.R. Smith and Mo Williams – not exactly players that you’d think of when you think of starters on a contender.

Earlier yesterday, Shumpert sent out a tweet that suggested that he and Kyrie were returning to action soon.

https://twitter.com/imanshumpert/status/671041851005210624

If it hasn’t already, this piece of news should excite Cavs fans, while simultaneously warning the rest of the Eastern Conference – the best team in the East is just about to get a whole lot better. The Cavaliers haven’t quite missed Shumpert and Irving, but the effect of having the two players out is quite telling.

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J.R., who has been starting in Shumpert’s place, hasn’t been the steady force of offense that the Cavs need him to be. He sports an offensive rating of 97 points per 100 possessions – a figure that belongs in the bottom three of the Cavs’ roster. He has shot poorly this season, averaging 39.1 percent shooting from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 48 percent.

Meanwhile, his defensive rating of 103 is also tied for the third worst mark on the roster – making him poor on both ends of the court.

Williams, who hasn’t been a starting caliber point guard since the 2012-13 season, has managed to be useful on the offensive end. With an offensive rating of 111 points per 100 possessions, he’s in the top six on the Cavs. Still, the Cavaliers would do better with a better passer like Irving, rather than a score-first guard in Williams.

The Cavs have had to split minutes at the point guard position between him and Matthew Dellavedova, who resembles more of a traditional point guard. The problem with doing so is that neither is a complete point guard (Delly lacks the offensive scoring, while Williams is a defensive liability), which Irving is.

Currently, the Cavaliers are ranked third in the NBA for offensive efficiency with 106.2 points per 100 possessions. With a dynamic scorer and playmaker like Irving leading the team, you can be sure that their offense will only improve.

But their defense is where we will see the most improvement. Currently, the Cavaliers’ defensive rating of 100 points per 100 possessions is good enough for 13^th in the NBA. That number will have to improve if they want to cement their title hopes. A top-10 defense is often cited as one of the most important things a title contender should have.

Next: NBA Power Rankings: Week 5

The Cavaliers have done well so far to avoid falling behind without their starting backcourt. In fact, some may even argue that they haven’t missed the two. However, with Irving and Shumpert coming back soon, this team will be even better than they were before – a scary prospect for the rest of the Eastern Conference.