NBA Standings: Cavaliers lead the way in defending 3-point line

How the rest of the league fares

The Cavaliers have the league’s second-best defense and are the best at defending the 3-point line, but not every great defense follows that strategy; they might not have the personnel that the Cavs do at the rim, or they might allow 3-pointers to take away something else. Of the league’s Top 10 defenses, only three (Cleveland, Miami, Phoenix) were in the top 10 in limiting wide-open 3-pointers.

11. Milwaukee Bucks
12. San Antonio Spurs
13. Atlanta Hawks
14. Philadelphia 76ers
15. Utah Jazz
16. Denver Nuggets
17. Detroit Pistons
18. Los Angeles Lakers
19. Golden State Warriors
20. Boston Celtics

More of those top defenses show up here, teams like Milwaukee (3rd in defensive rating), Philadelphia (9th) and Boston (4th). Yet at the same time, some of the league’s worst defenses also show up in this middle range, with the league-worst San Antonio Spurs clocking in at 12th. The Spurs might do a decent job at limiting 3-pointers, but they are absolutely abysmal inside the arc.

21. Oklahoma City Thunder
22. Minnesota Timberwolves
23. Chicago Bulls
24. Charlotte Hornets
25. New York Knicks
26. Toronto Raptors
27. New Orleans Pelicans
28. Orlando Magic
29. Memphis Grizzlies
30. Houston Rockets

The bottom of this list is wild. On the one hand, the Houston Rockets are 29th in defense and lack both perimeter defense and rim protection; their presence here makes sense. But the Memphis Grizzlies? They have the league’s best defense, an elite rim protector in Jaren Jackson Jr., and good perimeter defenders in Dillon Brooks, Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones. Yet they build their strategy around guarding the rim, leaving opportunities for opponents to shoot open 3-pointers.

The Cavs’ perimeter defensive strategy has changed this year, as last year they ranked just 18th in this metric. They are trusting their big men to clean up more and tasking the guards to dig in on the outside. That has worked for them; but interestingly enough, not doing that has worked for the Grizzlies.

The Cavaliers are playing extremely well on defense, and their personnel allow them to both defend the paint and the 3-point line. If opponent shooting normalizes down the stretch, the Cavs could be that much more dangerous in smothering opponents and picking up crucial wins.