Amid a truly special regular season campaign, the Cleveland Cavaliers have no shortage of positivity and reasons to enjoy basketball.
While the NBA world drones on about television ratings and which era was greater than another, the Cavs are defining for themselves what greatness looks like in a post-LeBron era. That definition has landed them with the league's best record, sitting at 28-4 after dismantling the Golden State Warriors to begin a lengthy western road trip.
Unsurprisingly, the Cavs' star core four of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen have been at the forefront of the historic season. Mobley's ascension into NBA stardom has been the best storyline for Cleveland's fanbase, but a championship contender is not built with just four or five great players. The Cavaliers are in this league-leading position because of a complete buy in from every member of the organization.
One player in particular has drastically redefined and reimagined his career this season. After years of inconsistent production and frustrating results, the Cavs' sixth man Caris LeVert is nothing short of a star role player. Averaging 12 points and 4.0 assists per game, LeVert is one of Cleveland's most prominent players off the bench. He and guard Ty Jerome emerged as early frontrunners for Sixth Man of the Year, though their chances have dwindled.
Over this past offseason, though, LeVert's time in Cleveland looked to be close to an end. On an expiring mid-sized contract, the Columbus native was a prime candidate for a trade package to bring in a more proven, reliable player. The Cavaliers did not actively shop LeVert, but if there was anybody who would be traded, it seemed almost impossible not to expect his name to be included in a deal.
Cleveland's LeVert problem
Although the Cavaliers organization never said anything against LeVert since his arrival in 2022, it was clear that he would either be the reason the Cavs won a close game, or the reason a winnable game disappeared. Defensively, the 6'6" combo guard could switch onto a multitude of defenders, using his quickness and strength to stay in front of his assignment. He was never a real liability on that end of the court.
Offensively, however, LeVert was a different story - seemingly a new one every night. He looked talented but wildly unpredictable. In the 2023-24 season, LeVert was undoubtedly a disappointing sixth man after a hot start to the year. Through 68 games played, he averaged 14 points and 5.1 assists. Even with higher overall numbers, shooting efficiency stopped Cleveland's second unit leader from making a real impact. With an effective field goal rating of 48.7 percent, LeVert was far from the player he needed to be to impact winning at a high level.
A major component in LeVert's inefficiency was shot selection. While nostalgic fans will lament the lack of mid-range shooting in the modern NBA, there is no doubting that a long mid-range jumpshot is the most ineffecient play a team can run. It is debatably a harder shot to hit than a three-pointer, as defenders are more easily able to contest a mid-range shot, but it counts for just as many points as a layup or a dunk.
In the 2023-24 season, LeVert shot roughly 16 percent of his shots from within 8-24 feet (2.1 attempts out of 12.1 field goal attempts per game), converting a measly 38.8 percent of them. While stats are not going to explain the entire story, it was not an uncommon sight for LeVert to pass up on a three-point shot just to shoot a contested mid-range shot with time left on the shot clock to create a better look for himself or a teammate.
It seemed, at times, that a play stopped with LeVert. Once the ball was in his hands, the offense halted. LeVert ranked in the 29th percentile in isolation plays, making just 0.8 points per isolation possession. He had a similar trend of inconsistent shot creation and conversion in prior years, but the last season included the highest usage rate of his career (23.1%), exaggerating the problem.
How LeVert has redefined himself
It became easy to dislike LeVert's playstyle. Frankly, it did not lead to winning basketball. The Cavaliers suffered from poor shot selection when he ignored his teammates and chucked up bad looks.
This year, though, LeVert is enjoying a career-high 63.4 eFG% and is just two points below last year's average in 4.8 fewer minutes per night. On 3.9 three-point attempts per game, LeVert is hitting 47.4 percent of the time. His scoring attempts have dropped from 12.1 to 8.1, but his efficiency and decision-making look entirely different.
In just half a season, LeVert went from a trade asset on an expiring contract to somebody the Cavaliers cannot afford to lose this summer. He is arguably just as good as the core players in terms of impact, and his presence gives the Cavs a chance at beating anybody in the league. Much of his improvement can likely be attributed to coach Kenny Atkinson's offensive system, which has seen improved efficiency across the board in Cleveland.
The former Michigan Wolverine (Ohioans have to forgive him for the betrayal) is shooting 46.1 percent on his catch-and-shoot three-point attempts and 51.4 percent on all corner three attempts. Although these numbers would likely regress if it were a smaller sample size early in the season, LeVert's continued effectiveness from deep in place of rushed mid-range shots showcases his commitment to this new-look offense. LeVert's athletic and crafty finishing around the hoops has continued to help Cleveland, too, making him a legitimate scoring threat against any opponent.
An old basketball adage suggests that the starting lineup never includes all five of the team's best players. With LeVert off the bench in all 25 games played while being one of Cleveland's best players, he certainly adds credibility to the saying. LeVert is enjoying a career-high in almost every impact statistic and efficiency rating. His win share per 48 minutes is .183, and his offensive box plus/minus (OBPM) is at 2.9 compared to last year's -0.6.
During the summer, the only path to the Finals for the Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to include a significant trade. They were one of the worst offenses in the playoffs over the last two postseasons, and the bench scoring was nowhere to be found. As the Cavs redefine their own offensive identity with Atkinson, their league-leading offensive rating should in no small way be grateful to the efforts of Columbus' very own Caris LeVert.