Cavs Vs. Warriors: A Statistical Comparison

Following last year’s NBA Finals matchup, both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors appear to be on a collision course this year. But how do the Cavs match up with the best team in the NBA?

The Cavaliers began the NBA season as the favourites to win the 2016 NBA Championship. With the full squad from the previous season’s run to the finals back as well as some key additions to the bench, the Cavaliers looked primed to usurp the Warriors at the top of the NBA. However, the two teams’ seasons so far could not be more different.

The Warriors have swept everything before them so far this season, including an unprecedented 24 consecutive wins to start the season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers have been fighting to become whole again and have had a Head Coaching change.

So around the halfway point of the season, just how well do the Cavaliers match up with the Golden State Warriors?

Offense

The Warriors have been the best offensive team all season in pretty much every single offensive statistic available. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers, while less prolific, have still been an excellent offensive team this season.

So far this season, the Warriors lead the league in points per game, averaging a whopping 115.4 points per game compared to the Cavaliers’ mark of 102.5. The Cavaliers rank 10th in the league in this category.

The Warriors also rank 1st in the league in offensive efficiency, with a mark of 113.2 so far, comfortably ahead of the Cavaliers who rank 4th in the same category with 106.5.

Golden State’s proficiency on offense is largely predicated on the shooting ability of not just MVP Steph Curry and Klay Thompson but their entire roster. Due to the Warriors’ ability from beyond the arc, it is not surprising that they lead the league in True Shooting Percentage with 59.5%. Comparatively, the Cavaliers have been inconsistent shooting the ball, especially from deep where LeBron James and Kyrie Irving are in the midst of career low seasons from 3-point range. As a result, the Cavaliers’ True Shooting Percentage ranks equal 7th with Toronto at 54.9%.

Similar to the True Shooting Percentage, the Warriors also rank first in the league in Effective Field Goal Percentage, sporting a mark of 56.6%. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers rank fifth in the league with a percentage of 51.6%.

One of the major qualms from fans and media alike this season is the ball movement, or lack thereof, from the Cavaliers. Especially under former coach David Blatt, the Cavaliers resorted to isolation basketball far too often, a habit that they are trying to eradicate under Tyronn Lue‘s reign. The Cavaliers are trying to instil a culture of ball movement similar to the Warriors and the San Antonio Spurs who have made ball movement a hallmark of their offenses. Currently, the Warriors lead the league in assists per game with 29.3 per game, while the Cavaliers average just 22.3 assists per game.

In terms of shooting percentages from the field and from 3-point range, the Warriors have shot an incredible 49.1% from the field as well as a ridiculous 42.7% from three-point line. Comparatively, the Cavaliers have been inconsistent with many of their star players going through hot and cold streaks. The streaky nature of the Cavaliers’ shooting has left them with percentages of 45.6% from the field and 35.6% from long range.

One place that the Warriors have struggled both this season and last year during their title run was protecting the ball. Golden State plays at an incredibly fast pace, ranking 2nd in the league at 102.0 possessions per game, compared to the Cavaliers’ who rank 28th in the league with 95.1 possessions per game. The Warriors higher pace often results in high turnover numbers, and as a result, they average 15.4 turnovers per game. The Cavaliers, in their slower offense, value possession of the ball and therefore have a lower figure of 13.7 turnovers per game.

Defense

Let’s start with the points allowed per game for both teams: the Warriors’ fast pace has caused opponents to ramp up scores against them as well, as they allow 102.8 points per game. Comparatively, the Cavs have been locking teams down allowing just 96.7 points per game.

Despite allowing less points per game, the Cavaliers’ defensive rating of 100.8 ranks just 8th in the league, whilst the Warriors rank 3rd in that category with a figure of 99.1.

The Warriors’ superior defensive rating can be attributed to the field goal percentage of their opponents being lower than the Cavaliers’ opponents. Currently, Warrior opponents have shot just 43% from the field as well as a paltry 31.2% from beyond the arc. Cleveland’s opponents have shot 44.4% from the field and 33.7% from long distance. However, the Cavaliers have done well driving opponents off the three-point line, allowing just 21.8 three point shots per game compared to the Warriors mark of 22.2 shots.

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On the boards, somewhat surprisingly the Warriors have rebounded the ball better than the Cavaliers this season, averaging 46.8 per game compared to 44.8 by the Cavaliers. The rebounding advantage comes by virtue of an advantage on the defensive rebounding side for the Warriors, with the numbers on the offensive glass pretty similar for both the teams. The Cavaliers average 10.8 offensive boards per game, edging the Warriors slightly (10.4).

The Cavaliers’ one hole defensively is their rim protection, and that is depicted in the number of blocked shots per game. The main reason for that has been the regression of center, Timofey Mozgov, who has had a tough start to the season and is rumoured to be on the trading block. The Cavaliers have averaged just 3.8 blocks per game, whilst the Warriors have swatted 6.3 shots per game.

The Warriors also lead the Cavaliers in the steals department, averaging 8.7 per game compared to the Cavaliers’ figure of 6.8. The higher number of steals have caused Warrior opponents to have more turnovers per game, averaging 14.6 in that category. Comparatively, the Cavaliers’ opponents average just 13.4 turnovers per game.

So there it is, unsurprisingly the Warriors lead the Cavaliers in most categories, which is hardly anything to be ashamed of as they are in the midst of a historically great season. The teams seem to be pretty much on par with each other on the defensive end, with the Warriors more superior on the offensive end.

However, with the change in philosophy brought about by new Head Coach Tyronn Lue, expect to see an uptick in the Cavs’ offensive numbers across the board after the All-Star break. If the Cavaliers are able to move the ball effectively and get everyone on offense involved, they will be incredibly tough to stop and should provide a stern test, should they meet the Warriors in June.