Buckle up: The Cleveland Cavaliers are Finals contenders

All stats for this piece were compiled before the Cavaliers' 114-113 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday evening.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are for real and one of two undefeated squads (6-0) along with the Oklahoma City Thunder. New coach Kenny Atkinson has the team playing faster and cohesively as it's off to the best start since 2016-17, when it went to the Finals, losing 4-1 to the Golden State Warriors.

Through the early campaign, three of the Cavs’ six opponents—the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Orlando Magic—were playoff teams in 2023-24. The dub versus the Knicks came on tour, and the other two were in Cleveland. Keep in mind that the unit is without Max Strus for likely four more weeks, but Dean Wade has done a fine job in his absence, highlighting the squad’s depth. 

Not one starter is averaging 30 minutes per game and the group is second in points off turnovers and third in fastbreak digits.

Let’s review what pops about them and why they are a threat to make the Finals.

No. 1: Upgraded offense

The Cavaliers are playing above the average pace while not comprising the defense, which is no easy task. It’s working because they are taking care of the ball (ninth in turnover percentage) and being accurate from the field (first in effective field goal percentage).  

Atkinson has devised (or ripped off) a free-flowing offense that keeps everyone involved. It has helped Darius Garland rediscover his form as a shot creator—he is taking fewer attempts in the paint non-restricted area but a career-high in 3-point tries while downing a personal best (42.9 percent).

Additionally, Evan Mobley is used more as a playmaker by taking the ball upcourt after a rebound and running more face-up actions. His usage is up five percent, the half-court moves are more fluid than ever, and his true shooting accuracy is a career-high (64.1).

With Mobley playing at this level on offense alongside Jarrett Allen, the only hope small lineups have of surviving against this team is if it produces an abundant clip from long range. Remember the second-round series versus the Boston Celtics that Donovan Mitchell couldn’t finish? Recent champions Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown will be in trouble if one of them has to guard Cleveland’s bigs full-time in a playoff series because they are too small and they can’t help out as much if Mitchell is active. 

On top of that, Allen is one of the best bigs in the league at putting pressure on the rim because he is one of the most active rim rollers. He scores 1.54 points per possession as a roller, the second-highest in the league. This means the Cavaliers could use him more when running decoy plays for snipers. For example, when a shooter like Wade, Strus, Garland or Mitchell curls behind a stagger or flare by Allen, the pass can be made to the big since he is diving to the cup with a mismatch.

And then there’s Mitchell. He has one of the most explosive takeover abilities in the NBA because he can create separation on the dribble easily and bury jumpers without much space. When he’s creating overreactions in this offense, the Wine and Gold are one of the toughest teams in the league to stop. 

 No. 2: Defensive versatility

The current starting lineup of Garland, Mitchell, Wade, Mobley and Allen are sharp defensively, allowing 99.2 points per 100 possessions, good enough for the 94th percentile of the stat. Mobley and Allen do most of the heavy lifting. When they play elite bigs, they can rotate on the assignment or stay on them. 

Wade has provided help defense and his length is an added tool to disrupt close-range shots and bother the passing lanes. Mitchell is not bad on defense. He can stay on the ball when engaged and locks and trails decently; his problem is that he’s short, but his wingspan can bail him out at times. 

Garland’s issue is also size. The best way to hide him is to put him on the opposing player with the weakest dribble moves or to check the corner. When Strus comes back, he will supply adequate on-ball protection.

And the Cavaliers have Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert off the bench. The former is one of the league’s up-and-coming perimeter pests, while the latter is also capable of guarding the perimeter. Overall, the Cavaliers have a lot of options to ensure a strong defensive performance.

No. 3: Continuity

The core four of Garland, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen are in their third campaign together, having won a surplus of regular-season games and one playoff series against the Magic. When Mitchell arrived in 2022-23, Garland and Mobley were not ready for prime time. Following the sting of disappointments and harsh outside criticisms, the crew is blossoming into an Eastern force and is backed up with depth. 

LeVert’s off to an impressive start after reuniting with Atkinson. It is not sustainable, but the coach found the right rhythms and frequencies for him in the offense.

Okoro was kept on a team-friendly deal. That’s a plus for the Cavaliers because his defense makes him a winning player. There will be situations where it’s best to go small, and he will be just with the doctor ordered.

And don’t discount how much pressure it takes off the team that Mitchell chose to stick around. Now the coaching staff can make decisions, and the players can play looser without worrying about their mistakes being magnified.

The Cavaliers brought back their entire rotation from last year's team and that continuity is clearly propelling them to a strong start to the season, and it just might be what this team needs to get all the way to the NBA Finals.