Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 ways they could use screens this year

#2: Off-ball screens for perimeter shooters

Just like the standard high ball-screens, these are well-known by the fan base. Rodney Hood, George Hill, Kyle Korver, Jordan Clarkson and J.R. Smith will get their opportunities for open three-point looks from screens set from Thompson, Love, Nance, Zizic and David Nwaba consisently.

Those latter names have good timing in their execution of setting off-ball screens so Cleveland’s perimeter threats can get valuable air space. This screen by Love enables Smith to flare out for a jumper, and this is something that he and Smith/Korver will have going for them on a number of occasions.

Nance, Osman or Rodney Hood should be able to find Korver, Clarkson, Smith, and also Love, and at times, Sexton, Channing Frye and Billy Preston (when he’s with the Cavs). Frye is a good screener in this way, too, and like Love, his threat to shoot on the perimeter itself could cause defenses to over-commit to him and react a bit slower to the shooter.

His and Kevin Love’s pin-downs are another bread-and-butter weapon, with Korver as the shooter, in particular. Sexton, Clarkson and Hill should have easy assists after penetration or something from patience on the wing letting screens develop.

Cleveland graded as the NBA’s second-best team in off-screen scoring efficiency last year, per Synergy. They won’t have LeBron’s passing, but with an offense that is more predicated on movement this season, according to head coach Tyronn Lue, the Cavs should still be an efficient shooting-off-screen team.

Look for Cleveland to consistently screen for cutters, too.