Years ago, the Golden State Warriors preached that their greatest attribute was strength in numbers. The way Golden State operated was a form of basketball socialism, with no player on the roster being better than the other and the collective group seizing the means of victory instead. Sure, that notion went out the window when the Warriors paired Kevin Durant with Stephen Curry. However, even today the concept of basketball socialism still rings true for some teams, the Cleveland Cavaliers included.
Without Darius Garland (jaw) and Evan Mobley (knee) lately, who both underwent surgery before Christmas 2023, the Cavs are 8-3. Like their Bay Area comrades before them, Cleveland is having other players step up and soften the blow of losing two of their most important players. Sure, it helps when the Cavs still have stars like Jarrett Allen and Donovan Mitchell seizing the means of production. But as the Warriors did years ago, it has been about “we” instead of “me.”
Cavs players stepping up in wake of injuries
“We've got a lot of depth on our team, and you've seen a bunch of different guys step up,” said head coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Wednesday in Paris. “Guys who were in lesser roles are coming off the bench and moved into the starting lineup. And then that's pushed some other guys from the bench up.
“But you know, guys like Sam Merrill, Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, the guys that are coming off the bench, they've picked up the load, Tristan Thompson brings us great energy. So it's been really fun to watch everybody get an opportunity and we'll just keep pressing.”
In the last 11 games without Garland or Mobley, Cleveland is the third-best team in assists per game, averaging 30.7 assists on 44.6 made field goals per game. The Cavs are also a top-10 team scoring-wise, averaging 119.5 points per game, and the sixth-best offensive rating, scoring 122.0 points per 100 possessions.
Cleveland's secret to their strength in numbers on offense is the fact that they're taking and making more three-pointers every night. While waiting for Garland and Mobley to recover, the Cavs are taking the second-most three-pointers per game at 42.7 and connecting on 37.0%, which is third-best in the NBA.
Changing up their style
“Obviously, because of the injuries, we've had to make some changes stylistically,” said Bickerstaff. “But I think the guys have bought into it. We're shooting a lot of threes now, which everybody wants to do anyway. So that's helped us offensively and we just got to keep building on it. In the last 10-11 games, we're a top-two team in assists; we're a top-two team in three-pointers taken. We're really sharing the ball and playing well together.
“We're very fortunate. I think we're trying to find ways to generate points, and you're playing the numbers game at that point. With Darius, because of his ability to score at all three levels with the ball in his hands, some of his shots come from those in between areas. But it was a conscious decision on our part when we lost his scoring and Evan's scoring to try to find a way to uptick our scoring, and we thought with the guys we have, the three-point shot was the weapon.
“So, now you have that in tow, and then you add Darius and Evan back, you continue to get those threes, but allow them to also play their game in between.”
Bickerstaff and the Cavs will look to continue their recent hot offensive streak against the Brooklyn Nets in Paris. The regular-season contest will happen at Accor Arena, in front of a bombastic group of fans from all over Europe.
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