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Cleveland Cavaliers: Kyle Korver is the NBA’s most effective player

By Nathan Beighle

NEW YORK,NY - NOVEMBER 13 : Kyle Korver #26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2017 in New York, New York NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK,NY - NOVEMBER 13 : Kyle Korver #26 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on November 13, 2017 in New York, New York NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers unlocked a sleeping giant when they traded for former star Kyle Korver. He has significantly increased his effectiveness this season.

Before the trade deadline of the 2016-2017 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers tried to enhance their chances at repeating as NBA champs by trading for Kyle Korver. While effective last season, Korver has taken his game to a new level.

Korver’s 2.6 threes per game in just 21.6 minutes of action is the most triples per minutes of his career. Along those lines, Korver has also averaged 10.8 points per game which is just 3.6 shy of his career-high. Korver, while scoring double-digits per game, also averages just 0.6 turnovers per game is another crucial factor in his effectiveness.

That’s great, but how is Korver’s the most effective player in the entire? His true shooting percentage, offensive rating, and net rating tell the real story of how effective and impactful Korver has been.

According to basketball-reference.com, Kyle Korver is currently leading the NBA in offensive rating.  He has a career-high 129 offensive rating which seems unsustainable, but throughout 22 games, Korver has shown his ability to stay effective and help the Cavaliers offense reach new heights.

Korver is also leading the NBA in true shooting percentage, which takes three-point shooting into account. At .692, Korver has been fantastic from the field for the Cavaliers. While a rarity, Korver’s 87% from the free-throw line also assists him in leading the league.

Korver does his role perfectly. He runs off screens and has been an extremely solid team defender. Here’s an example of why Korver is so effective in his role alongside playmakers like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Korver has been impressive this season. He is the only player in the top ten in both offensive rating and true shooting percentage. As a matter of fact, according to NBA.com, Korver is the first player that is not a Rocket or Warrior in offensive rating. While the two sites do have some differences, the facts are still the same. Kyle Korver has been on a different level, and he has done exactly what the Cavaliers have needed.

After a rough start to the season as a team, Korver’s continued play has been what the Cavs have needed to start the win streak that has re-energized this team. Hopefully, Korver’s excellent play continues as he might be up for an all-star nomination since he is playing just as effectively as he was during his only all-star appearance in 2015.

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Korver is not the volume player in the NBA and doesn’t have close to the highest usage rate, but he is one of the best shooters and has been on another level. While he’ll never average 25 per game, Korver could very easily be considered the NBA’s most effective player.