The Cleveland Cavaliers struggled mightily to find a true offensive system or flow over the past few seasons. Their stagnant high pick-and-roll schemes were predictable and gave defenses an easy exploit.
Under new coach Kenny Atkinson, the first 25 games of his Cavs tenure have been entirely different. Cleveland boasts the second highest-scoring offense in the NBA, dropping 121.4 points per game (the Memphis Grizzlies overtook the Cavaliers recently with 122.1). The Cavaliers' offensive explosion comes alongside a boost in efficiency, leading the league in field goal percentage (50.7) and three-point percentage (40.4).
Cleveland has implemented a faster-paced strategy, seeking for the open shot and making the extra pass. As famed NBA head coach Mike D'Antoni said in Jack McCallum's book 07 Seconds or Less, Find the "good shot, better shot quote". This new mentality elevated the Cavs into the upper echelon of title contenders after years of sitting on the outside looking in. While there's still nearly 60 games left in the regular season and 16 wins necessary in the second season, the Cavaliers have never looked so good since LeBron James' 2018 departure.
Under a new system, even the best start can get better. After a 16-game winning streak to open the season, the Cavs have shown a willingness to try new things and iterate on what has worked to continue winning. In a new piece published from Bleacher Report, Grant Hughes offers one change every team should make. For the Cavaliers, that's leaning further into one player's rise to stardom.
Evan Mobley is the key to winning in Cleveland
Perhaps Atkinson's greatest accomplishment this season has been his ability to unlock the potential of Evan Mobley. After three seasons under J.B. Bickerstaff, Mobley's offensive impact had hardly improved. Though the young big's efficiency increased with every season, his usage and responsibility remained unchanged.
With Atkinson, however, Mobley has the highest usage rate of his career at 23.4 - the third-highest on the roster. His career-high 41 points against the Charlotte Hornets showcased how special Mobley's offense has become this year. Atkinson has opened up the floor for Mobley and given him freedom to put the ball on the floor to create his own shot.
Hughes' article suggests the best way for the Cavs to evolve more this season is putting the ball in Mobley's hands even more. While Mobley's averages are not ridiculously higher than last season, Hughes notes the aggression and confidence Mobley displays.
"Mobley's handling the ball much more, both in transition and the half-court, and his drives per game are up to from 4.7 last year to 7.6. He's shooting about 5.0 percent better on those play types, even with that increased volume."
Grant Hughes
As Mobley's volume increases, he still makes the most of each opportunity. This improvement demonstrates a maturity and basketball intelligence in Mobley that has been present since his rookie year. Now, though, Mobley is emerging as a true NBA star and is putting that intelligence into practice. Atkinson's primary objective for the next 57 games, according to Hughes, should be leaning into this evolution and increasing Mobley's touches from the elbow.
Hughes notes that Mobley averages only 2.2 elbow touches per game, yet he averages one of the highest averages per possession when he has the ball in that high-post zone. Without repeating too many of Hughes' words, giving Mobley more possessions from the elbow can maximize his potential by setting up opportunities to drive to the basket more easily. Further, Mobley is an excellent passer from the elbow, and increasing this strategy could open opportunities for everybody else, too.
Given the number of talented motion shooters in Cleveland, with another one in Max Strus on the brink of returning, setting the ball in Mobley's hands in the middle of the offense is no doubt an exciting idea. The Cavs have feasted on off-ball movement and clever motions to generate an open look this season, and Mobley has rarely not been a part of that generation.
While Hughes suggests much larger changes for many other squads, his comments on the Cavaliers further highlights how in-tune thi s team is. If the biggest change needed is doing more of what you are already doing, chances are you're in a great place.
Evan Mobley, as expected, holds the keys to the Cleveland Cavaliers' future. A team-centric offense has unlocked Mobley's aggression. Giving him more influence on this new-look Cavs gameplan will only make everything better.