Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 reasons not to be upset over loss to Toronto Raptors

3. Ball movement

For starters, the ball movement and player movement off the ball was superb. It was easily better than anything we have seen from the Cavaliers in recent years.

The amount of isolation play was severely decreased as there was a clear emphasis on team play. As a result, five different Cavalier players scored in double figures, while Collin Sexton missed the mark by just one point. In total, 10 different players scored a bucket in this game.

The increase in ball and body movement is one of the few benefits to losing LeBron James. In the Cavs’ previous system, there was a ton of ball-watching as James isolated at the top of the key. While James was obviously extremely effective, it is nice to watch a more balanced team attack in this season.

This is something that will only get better as the year progresses. There were multiple instances in which players simply missed opportunities for shots because of their inexperience playing together. As team chemistry grows, so will their ball movement.