The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to a very inconsistent start to the season. Sitting at 14-11, the Cavs have showed some moments of brilliance. From their shorthanded road win against the Miami Heat, to a complete beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers, to their dominant third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland have moments where they look like a contender.
On the flip side, they have also had absolute lows. From their lethargic NBA Cup loss to the Atlanta Hawks, to their lackluster performances against the Boston Celtics, to their inexplicable loss to the extremely shorthanded Golden State Warriors, the Cavs have endured their fair share of frustration.
Despite that, there is no reason to panic yet in Cleveland. One trend suggests that they are actually closer to contender status than people think.
Cavaliers are hovering around the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating
Cleveland currently ranks 10th in offensive rating, and ninth in defensive rating through 25 games. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, and Houston Rockets are the only other teams to rank inside the top ten in both categories.
Even with all of their faults and injuries, the Cavs find themselves in a unique club at the this juncture of the season. This is despite the fact that their core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen have only played 57 minutes together.
A big reason for the Cavs defense remaining in the top 10 has been their ability to force turnovers. They are second in the league in deflections (22.1), and force the fifth-most turnovers per game (16.3). They are also ninth in opponent field-goal percentage.
Cleveland were also inside the top 10 of both categories last season, which is a big reason why they won 64 games. They are on track to do the same thing again this year.
Despite being in the top 10 in both categories, Cleveland has not been playing their best basketball to start the year. They have battled inconsistency on both ends, but things could be much worse.
The sky is by no means falling in Cleveland. Even with their struggles, there are still good things to find from their season of play thus far. Once they get healthy, look for the Cavs to regain their form as contenders out East.