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A new feature of the Cleveland Cavaliers' practice courts at Cleveland Clinic Courts is the four boxes taped around the perimeter. Two are in either corner, and the other two are just above the break of the three-point arc on the wing. The taped-off areas remind Cleveland where the Cavs must go immediately once they get possession of the ball on the fast break. It's all part of the new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson's vision. If Cleveland has a player moving to those taped-off spots, they have the green light to fire away. It keeps Cleveland's opponents scrambling and opening up spots on the interior.
“[The goal is to] keep the middle of the court open,” Atkinson said. “That’s why you can see those spacing markers on the floor to keep the middle open. … I call it the Autobahn. [We want to] go fast in those lanes.”
After last week’s preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, Atkinson said that 48 threes “is a good number.” But the volume of three-pointers taken goes with Cleveland's increased pace. So it’s easier to do one if you’re also doing the other – especially when Atkinson gives his team the green light to shoot.
“Schematically, there’s a different emphasis this year that is going to allow us to play faster,” Cavs forward Georges Niang shared when asked about Atkinson's offense.
What is Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson's emphasis on offense?
That different emphasis was shown in Cleveland's first three preseason games. Breaking down the numbers might make it seem like the Cavs are on track to break NBA records. But anything about Cleveland's production should be taken with a grain of salt – since the data comes from meaningless exhibitions. However, that same data does paint a more vivid image of how the Cavs will function on offense under Atkinson this year. Moreover, Atkinson has emphasized being in the proper lane offensively because that opens up the floor for faster play.
“Filling the corners is super important,” Atkinson said. “It’s the eternal fight for coaches in the NBA because they want to come back and get [the ball]. . . . But you have to [get to the corner]. I call them corner assists when you get to the corner and open up driving lanes.”
Atkinson puts that responsibility on Cleveland's All-Start backcourt duo of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell. On offense, Garland and Mitchell will be the head of the hydra, moving the ball ahead to whoever is running to the corner. Or if Garland and Mitchell decide to attack the basket, they can fire back to a trailing shooter at the top of the arc.
“It’s more about how do we get to our spots?” Mitchell said last week. “Makes and misses are going to come. We work our behinds off every day to get our reps up. But right now, it’s [about] getting into the corners, getting to the wing, getting into the dunker’s spot, spacing the floor, transitioning, and running. That’s really what it’s about. And I think we’ve done a great job, and we’re going to continue to get better.”
Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland can take Cleveland's offense to the next level
Getting buy-in from Mitchell and Garland will determine whether they can carry some level of this pace over to the regular season. It’s challenging to sprint up the court on every possession while also carrying the workload and minutes they’ve had to in the past. But it can also maximize every offensive possession for the Cavs. It's delicate, but there's a way to balance everything.
Again, it's the preseason. But Atkison has preached the importance of getting out in transition and doing most of their damage there. In turn, Cleveland is taking the necessary steps to ensure they do. Once things get rolling, it will be hard to contain the Cavs on either end of the floor.
“If you’re completely all-in on playing fast, then you’re going to play fast,” Niang said. “If it’s something that you haven’t really coached a lot, then it’s going to hinder you from doing that when times get tough. … So if it feels like the simple answer, without s****** on anybody, would be we have a different system in place to play.”
