Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 ways they could use screens this year

The Cleveland Cavaliers have made it their mission to score in transition more this year, but they can’t do that all the time. Let’s take a gander at a few ways they’ll likely score in the halfcourt via screens.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are going to score in the open floor this year. It’s been a common theme throughout media day, training camp and in preseason that they want to get down the floor faster. In the halfcourt, though, they’ll need to be more creative in their use of screens.

The first way they’ll be using screens is the bread-and-butter, standard high ball-screen.

#1: Standard high ball-screens to get mismatches

The last few years have been more high pick-and-rolls with a talented ball-handler making decisions. This year, that will be used again, as it is with every team in the NBA.

Cleveland has players that can fit in that way as screeners in Tristan Thompson, Larry Nance Jr., Kevin Love, Sam Dekker and Ante Zizic.

In terms of the most-used ball-handlers, the Cavaliers will likely utilize George Hill, Collin Sexton, Cedi Osman and Jordan Clarkson up top. Those players all have their share of high PnR attributes with the ball in their hands.

Sexton has top-end speed with the ball and can get to the free throw line often as a result. Clarkson, Osman and Hill have good pull-up abilities in the mid-range, and Clarkson and Osman have improved since last season in the pull-up three game.

Osman and Sexton need countless reps in this playtype, given that both project as two of the most-used playmakers on the team with their athleticism and blow-by potential.

Cleveland will not as efficient in this scoring playtype as they were with the likes of LeBron James last year, in which they finished in the 86th percentile, per Synergy Sports, but the Cavs will still need to use these to get their preferred matchups at times.

The second way Cleveland will use screens involves getting their snipers open.