Good, bad and ugly: Assessing Cleveland Cavaliers season thus far
By Ryan Piers
The ugly: Turnovers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are committing more turnovers than last season. It’s not a good sign for a maturing team, but important to consider with context. NBA teams are playing with more pace this season and Cleveland is no exception.
The Cavs are averaging 15.2 turnovers per game. It’s the 13th-best total in the league, so solid on the surface. But the team isn’t playing with much pace, at least relative to the rest of the NBA. Cleveland ranks 24th in the league in that category.
2020 NBA Draft will come with pressure for Cleveland. light. more cavs
Good teams can offset turnovers by playing at breakneck speeds. An uptempo pace leads to more shots and hopefully more points, despite more miscues. Of course, I’m mansplaining something you probably get.
Point being, Cleveland is committing too many turnovers for the speed at which they play. Their assist numbers are also down, despite added backcourt depth. Their, at times, abysmal ball protection was on display against Orlando as Cleveland committed 25 turnovers.
The Cavaliers are making it really hard to lose.
— The Lando (@TheLando__) November 28, 2019
Cleveland is up to 20 turnovers, and there’s still 17 minutes left in this game.
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Cleveland is showing signs of progress just in time for the schedule to get easier. Six of the team’s 11 opponents before Christmas are under .500. But the sloppy play must improve. It’s the ugliest part of the Cavs game.