The Cavs’ playmaking should be vastly improved next season

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ playmaking had been improving going into the NBA’s season suspension, and next year, that trend should continue in a big way.

At first glance, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been far from an exceptional passing team in the 2019-20 season.

Going into the current NBA season’s suspension in relation to preventing further spread of the novel coronavirus pandemic of which Utah Jazz center tested positive for, then leading to the league’s suspension (and you can view other reported updates here), the Cavs placed just 24th and 25th in the league in assists and then potential assists per game on the year. That was noted by Second Spectrum’s passing tracking data.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

What has been really encouraging to me, though, is how the Cavaliers have gotten better in terms of passing/playmaking for others as the year’s progressed. In February, Cleveland placed ninth and a solid 13th in assists and then total passes made per game (again per Second Spectrum).

Post-All-Star break, in which the Cavs were a fairly respectable 5-6 under the direction of J.B. Bickerstaff as their head coach in taking over for John Beilein, who has since been re-assigned to an unspecified role with Cleveland, the Cavaliers were sixth in assist rate.

Coincided with that, the Wine and Gold placed 10th among NBA teams in effective field goal shooting rate post-All-Star, as documented by NBA.com, and next season, I definitely believe their playmaking should be vastly improved.

While it’s obviously not been a great sign that on the season, Darius Garland has led Cleveland in assists per game with only 3.9, he himself had gotten better at finding cutters, lob threats and initiating ball-swings leading to open perimeter shooters earlier on in possessions for the past two or so months heading into the league’s suspension.

Plus, Collin Sexton post-All-Star break was tied with Garland (who missed five games due to a left groin strain heading into the hiatus) with 4.2 assists per outing, and Matthew Dellavedova, meanwhile, playing more with Garland banged up, led the squad with 6.0 assists per outing in that span. I believe bringing back Delly next season (who is expiring) would pay dividends, but it’s uncertain if he will be back.

Anyway, next season, regardless of who the Cavaliers end up drafting (whenever the 2020 NBA Draft ultimately is), I’d expect Sexton continue to make positive strides as a passer. Especially post-All-Star, he was showing much improved feel when it comes to finding more dump-offs to bigs such as Andre Drummond (who is seemingly likely to opt into his $28.8 player option), Kevin Love (who has been much more locked-in under Bickerstaff) and Larry Nance Jr. 

Sexton was also finding easier looks more on the perimeter to pieces such as Cedi Osman, Love, Nance and others, and even if assist totals aren’t nearly at that 4.2 per game post-All-Star pace for him next year, the improved feel again for Collin was really showing in that post-All-Star stretch leading up to the NBA’s season suspension.

Adding in likely more minutes for Kevin Porter Jr., who really impressed me with his passing vision this year, and of course has shown often throughout this season that he has big-time potential as a three-level scorer with his ability to change speeds, create separation and explode, and the Cleveland Cavaliers should have more high quality looks going forward.

Though Porter has had a fairly high turnover rate of 14.0 percent, him having a 14.7 percent assist rate as a score-first perimeter player (and 18.1 in eight games post-All-Star) as a 19-year-old rookie leads me to believe with more and more experience, he’ll make an even more strides as a secondary and, even primary playmaker in some instances, in pick-and-roll.

Moreover, when factoring in highly capable secondary playmakers in Kevin Love, Nance (3.2 assists per game post-All-Star), and Osman, coupled with younger pieces gaining more experience, I’d expect the Cleveland Cavaliers’ offense to flow more consistently next season.

In turn, regardless of who Cleveland selects in the 2020 NBA Draft, whether that be Auburn’s Isaac Okoro, LaMelo Ball, previously of the NBL’s Illawarra Hawks or if Cleveland went with Dayton’s Obi Toppin, perhaps, I’d expect the Cavs’ passing/assist totals to rank much higher and the offense to be more in-rhythm game-to-game next season.

Granted, the Cavaliers need to cut down on turnovers, as they have had the highest turnover rate this season heading into the season’s suspension, according to NBA.com.

To me, though, Garland, KPJ and others can progress in that realm, and again likely factoring in Love’s spacing element, along with a sniper in Dylan Windler, who will still likely miss his rookie year due to complications involving a stress reaction in his left leg, and I’d imagine passing/driving lanes will be more open and young players will not force in lobs as much.

It will take Windler time to get going, though, and I get that.

Anyhow, while I’m not saying the Cavs’ on the other end, who have had the second-lowest defensive rating this year, will be a ton better there, with Cleveland feasibly getting more high quality shots more often with most younger pieces, such as Garland and Sexton, more experienced and Cleveland having great passing bigs in Love/Nance, the offensive flow and overall passing should be vastly improved in 2020-21.

That’s a key reason I believe the Cavs will be much more competitive game-to-game, along with how Bickerstaff has shown he’s more than capable of getting the most out of game-specific lineups.

Also, the Cavs have been more decisive as playmakers/kickout players under the direction of Bickerstaff, and I believe that’s going to carry over into next season, whenever that ultimately turns out to be.