The Cleveland Cavaliers have not looked like the ultra-efficient, elite offense that they were last season in 2025-26. In order to fix that, one seemingly simple adjustment is going to go a long way: getting more paint touches, which will naturally open up the offense from there.
Last season, the Cavs finished the year registering first in the league in offensive rating. This year, they're just outside the top 10 at 11th. While that's obviously not bad, and you could theoretically still win a lot of games performing how Cleveland is right now on offense, there's simply so much more that we know can be unlocked.
Cleveland still has the pieces to be a dynamic offense once again. Donovan Mitchell remains among the leagues Elite backcourt players, and Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley have been as productive as ever in the frontcourt. Where the Cavaliers have been missing opportunities is by not creating as many paint touches as they did last year.
It's obvious why that's been the case. Ty Jerome now residing in Memphis and Darius Garland missing all but three games to start the season have both been factors that have been a big hit to the Cavs' guard depth. So it's not that big of a surprise they haven't been able to generate as much driving activity and paint touches as Kenny Atkinson probably would like.
The Cavaliers have to create more paint touches
We know that teams that flourish offensively typically have guards and wings who drive, and are able to get into the paint and create chaos. The numbers and the eye test both show that Cleveland has under-attacked the rim to start this season, and that automatically changes how defenses play against you.
It's not rocket science that driving the ball downhill is always going to open up your offense. Getting into the paint draws defenders away from the perimeter, opens up catch and shoot opportunities, and just generally makes the defense work harder. When you're driving and kicking and creating good ball movement, that's always going to have the making of a good offense.
As such, this has to be the biggest adjustment the Cavaliers need to make right now. Even if you don't get back Jerome or Garland for a few more games, lean more heavily into high ball screens, empty-corner pick-and-rolls, or whatever you feel would work best to get more paint touches.
Cleveland was always going to finish among the top teams in the East this season based on talent alone. But they'll give themselves the opportunity to get back into one of the top seeds by making this adjustment.