Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 Reasons They’re The Current Title Favorites
3. Three-Point Prowess
The Houston Rockets’ offense features the NBA’s heaviest three-point onslaught, and the Warriors can never be excluded from the conversation when they’ve got the Splash Brothers and Kevin Durant, but if you’re looking for the league’s most effective three-point shooting team this year, it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Rockets lead the NBA in three-point makes at 14.7 per game, but that’s only because they’re taking an outrageous 40.5 per game — 6.6 more than the next-closest team, Cleveland. The Cavs are second to Houston in both categories, making 13.3 of their 33.9 attempts per game, giving them a 39.2 percent to 36.3 percent advantage in efficiency.
More from Cleveland Cavaliers
- Latest intel calls Donovan Mitchell’s future with the Cavs into question
- 5 players who will challenge Victor Wembanyama for Rookie of the Year
- Cleveland Cavaliers: Analyzing the Max Strus acquisition
- Ranking the 5 best available shooting guards in 2023 NBA free agency
- NBA Rumors: Cavs have secret weapon to lure LeBron back to Cleveland
The Cavs have 10 players shooting better than 36 percent from three-point range, and nine above 38 percent. LeBron is unstoppable when his long range shot is falling, which it definitely is this season at 39.8 percent. Korver is at 50 percent. Kyrie and Love are both above 38 percent. Good luck defending a Kyrie-Korver-LeBron-Love-Frye spread offense.
With two unstoppable penetrators like LeBron and Kyrie on the roster, defenses have to pick their poison. Doubling LeBron or sending help for Kyrie is bound to leave someone open, and though Irving still leaves something to be desired as a facilitator, King James’ passing is perhaps the crown jewel in his collection of basketball wealth.
This team moves the ball well most of the time and they have the perimeter shooters to make defenses regret paying too much attention to the Big Three. The Warriors were once the NBA’s best three-point shooting team too when they lost their 3-1 Finals lead, but considering they were one suspension from probably closing at home, we’re going to chalk this category up as a positive for the Cavs either way.