King James Gospel
Fansided

Cleveland Cavaliers: What we learned from a dominant victory in Memphis

By Jackson Flickinger

MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 23: LeBron James
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 23: LeBron James /
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MEMPHIS, TN – FEBRUARY 23: Larry Nance Jr. #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high fives Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 23, 2018 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN – FEBRUARY 23: Larry Nance Jr. #24 of the Cleveland Cavaliers high fives Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the game against the Memphis Grizzlies on February 23, 2018 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. 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 2018 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

LeBron and Nance are a dangerous pairing.

LeBron and Nance inexplicably played just five minutes together during Thursday’s loss to the Wizards. Coach Lue changed that up as he paired these two together for a little over 19 minutes. The Cavs were a plus 22 when both players shared the floor.

Nance dazzled as he completed multiple alley-oops from James, but the value of Nance extends much further than just highlight dunks. Nance’s athleticism affects every aspect of the game. That effect is amplified when he’s out there with LeBron.

Not only did the Cavs finish as a plus 22 when LeBron and Nance were together, but they also finished with an offensive rating of 125.6, a defensive rating of 72.7, resulting in a net of 52.9.

Nance opens up the floor for LeBron and the rest of the team with his ability to attack the basket. The threat of both players attacking the paint forces the defense to instinctively pack the paint resulting in open looks for shooters. As a result, the Cavs as a team shot 45.5% from distance when LeBron and Nance were on the floor.

It’s early, but games like this show just how devastating a pairing these two have the potential to be.