We get it, the Cleveland Cavaliers want to push the pace, but what are the best ways to score when they do so?
Head coach Tyronn Lue is a proponent of pushing the ball up the floor whenever the Cleveland Cavaliers can do it. That is something Cleveland has done more of the last few years (last season they ranked 12th in that metric, per NBA.com), and I would think the Cavs will be in the top ten this year in pace.
That’s a good thing for a team that will have mostly a younger regular rotation aside from the 30-year old Kevin Love and 32-year old George Hill. Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith will get their time as well, but their minutes share will probably regress as the year progresses and the younger players get more comfortable.
The first transition weapon for Cleveland this year is the grab-and-go (no, I’m not referring to the Shively Dining Hall at O U).
The Grab-and-Go drive to the rim
As we’ve mentioned here at KJG for months, the Cavs aren’t going to wait to get the ball to LeBron James. It’s been a key focus for the team to push it right after securing defensive rebounds, whereas before they’d generally get the ball to Kyrie Irving (before last year) and James to direct traffic.
Cedi Osman is an emerging point-forward that will be given considerable playmaking duties this year, and he’s more than ready for that, as prior co-expert Quenton Albertie detailed recently. He’s an alert rebounder, and Osman will get the offense in high gear.
The same grab-and-go philosophy will be applied for Rodney Hood, George Hill, Collin Sexton, David Nwaba, Jordan Clarkson and even Larry Nance Jr., who has a solid handle for a big and good passing instincts.
When these players get the ball and go, they should be looking to score first. Obviously, the Cavs will need more ball movement this season, but sometimes players have to take the drive when it’s there in unsettled offense.
That will put the pressure on the opposing defense, and yes, there will be turnovers, but they’ll be able to get putbacks and foul line trips after drawing in shot-blockers.
Cleveland will be faster this year, and speed kills when driving to the rack in unsettled offense.
Lob passes
The next one is more obvious. With the Cavaliers having an athlete like Nance on the break often beating opposing bigs down the floor, the perimeter players should be able to throw it up near the top of the board and let the 2018 Slam Dunk participant go get it.
To make an NFL comparison, one of the best gunslingers ever, Brett Favre, used to say it perfectly when taking advantage of his deep ball going to an often more athletic wideout in relation to a defensive back.
He used to go with the mantra “I let my receiver make a play.”
The high-flying Nance did that more often in a higher-paced Los Angeles Lakers’ offense.
GO GET IT, YOUNG FELLA!
The Cavs need to let Nance (and at times Tristan Thompson, who is healthier this season), and when they’re in, Sam Dekker and two-way big Billy Preston “go make a play” near the rim on the break.
As the season progresses, Osman and Sexton (who could end up being the best playmakers on the team very soon) will get better and better at throwing lobs in transition to Cleveland’s young bigs.
The third transition weapon will again be the three-point line, especially in the corner.
Threes in the corner or trailing triples
Korver, Hood, Smith and occasionally Clarkson will have their chances running to the corner. With Sexton and Osman, especially, bringing it up, the defense will be drawn to them often.
That will lead to the three-ball in the corner pocket. Many uptempo teams feature this sort of shot a good amount on the break with defenders naturally still wanting to take away the rim, and Korver and Hood should be perfect for it.
In addition, Love, Preston and Channing Frye will hit as trailers at a high clip at the top of the key or above the break. All three of those players time those plays up well with ball and man movement.
The Cavaliers should have plenty of options in transition, and these three should set them up for success as the season progresses and chemistry among the team improves.