Cleveland Cavaliers: Backcourt is showing growth, but will it last?

The Cleveland Cavaliers can feel encouraged by their recent performances as it appears the backcourt is finally showing growth. But will this continue?

It’s been clear for a while that the Cleveland Cavaliers need additional playmaking in their backcourt. A recent stretch of success from the team has proven this point. But, it also opens up potential issues for the Cavs future.

Defending their home court against two tough Western Conference opponents, the Cavaliers emerged victorious in each showdown due to one consistent factor. The Cavaliers passed the ball frequently and created efficient shots as a result.

Cleveland racked up 32 assists versus the Denver Nuggets and 26  assists against the San Antonio Spurs. This is much higher than their season average of 22.9 and an indication of potential growth.

At the heart of the Cleveland Cavaliers surge of playmaking has been Matthew Dellavedova. The veteran point guard has dished a total of 38 assists in his last four games, third in the league during this stretch.

Delly recorded a career-high 14 assists in the Cavs win over Denver and notched a double-double versus San Antonio. He has been playing great basketball since being pushed into the starting lineup following an injury to Darius Garland.

We must also give credit to head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. There has been a stark difference in the Cavaliers playstyle since Bickerstaff took over and it’s evident the team is more invested in their current situation.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers have also benefited from a prolific stretch of basketball from Collin Sexton. The Young Bull is averaging 28.0 points and 3.8 assists over his last seven games. This run was highlighted by a career-best 41 point performance over the Boston Celtics.

Sexton is making strides as a playmaker. He is learning to kick out of his drives, utilizing his speed as a dual-threat to score and pass. He has also developed a crafty one hand wrap around pass which he frequently uses to dump the ball off to his big men.

We will truly see the Cavaliers be tested once Darius Garland returns to the court. The rookie has averaged 5.1 assists since early January and will need to prove he can take another step as a playmaker to justify his position in the starting lineup.

Garland and Sexton have had strong seasons in their own right. However, the franchise is still waiting to see these two develop chemistry together. Despite playing over 1,200 minutes together, this duo has only generated a total of 52 assists to each other.

This is likely due to the fact that both would rather create their own shot. A majority of their field goals are unassisted. Since neither is relying on the other to score, it’s difficult for them to build any meaningful chemistry.

The truth is, the Cavaliers may be better off with a pure playmaking player at the point guard position. Delly’s efficient stretch has shown us what this team is capable of with a focused guard orchestrating the offense.

Looking ahead to the 2020 NBA Draft, a player such as LaMelo Ball could be the perfect fit for Cleveland. Ball is a gifted passer and averaged nearly seven assists as a rookie in the NBL.

The biggest issue here is that a trio of Ball, Garland and Sexton could not play at the same time. There simply isn’t an effective way to split the basketball between three guards and they would get killed defensively. Consequently, someone would have to be moved to the bench or traded from the team.

Thankfully, the Cavaliers will not have to worry if this current trend continues. As long as they proceed to show growth in the playmaking department, everyone will remain comfortable in their roles.