Buy or Sell 3 trends from Cleveland Cavaliers this season

Buy or Sell 3 trends from Cleveland Cavaliers: Cleaning the Glass

Trend: 1st in Defensive Rebounding Percentage

The Cleveland Cavaliers look like the sort of team that would rebound well. They start a pair of seven-footers in Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, a size advantage that should give them a head start on corraling rebounds. That has been the case this season, as the Cavs rank first in Defensive Rebounding Percentage at 81.7 percent.

That stat tracks what percentage of available defensive rebounds that a team grabs, and is an important part of a team’s defense. Forcing a miss does little good if the opponent gets an offensive rebound and can take another shot. Cleaning the glass ends a defensive possession and gets the ball moving in the other direction.

Will this trend continue? On the one hand, it’s an outlier from last season. Even though the Cavs played even bigger, with the seven-foot Lauri Markkanen starting at the 3, they ranked 18th in the league with a 76.5 percent DRP. It was a problem for them all season, even when all of their bigs were healthy. That suggests they could fall back into the pack.

On the other hand, the Cavs have the personnel to excel in this area. Allen is a behemoth inside and rebounds extremely well on both ends of the court. Kevin Love, playing a large role as this team’s “Sixth Man” is an elite defensive rebounder, and leads the league in DRP this season. Even Robin Lopez, playing a small role, is known for his boxouts that allow teammates to clear the glass.

The Cavs may not remain first with a bullet in defensive rebounding, but there is no reason they can’t stay at the very top of the league.

Verdict: Buy