CLEVELAND, Ohio — Last season, the Cavs shocked the NBA by transforming into a 3-point shooting powerhouse.
After years of struggling from behind the arc, Cleveland finished the season ranked second in the league in 3-point percentage (38.3%), trailing only the Milwaukee Bucks (38.7%). But was this remarkable performance sustainable, or was it just a statistical anomaly?
On the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Chris Fedor and Jimmy Watkins tackled this burning question head-on, especially with sharpshooters Darius Garland and Max Strus sidelined to start the season.
“Well, I’d certainly think there are more questions about the Cavs from a 3-point shooting perspective,” Fedor observed. “And what I mean by that is how real is the number that Larry [Nane Jr.] shot in Atlanta last year? How real is the 43% that De’Andre [Hunter] shot as a member of the Cavs?”
It’s a legitimate concern. Multiple Cavaliers posted career-best shooting percentages last season, and regression to the mean is a powerful force in basketball analytics. As Watkins pointed out, even small dips could have significant impacts.
“I 100% believe DeAndre Hunter is a 37% career 3- point shooter on five threes per game. I’m sold. But like, what if 43% drifts back toward, I don’t know, 38-39. Those are still really good numbers. But it’s also still fewer shots going in the basket,” Watkins explained.
The scrutiny doesn’t stop with newcomers like Hunter and Nance Jr. The podcast zeroed in on one player who could either supercharge Cleveland’s offense or leave it stuck in neutral: Evan Mobley.
“The way that this team makes the biggest step to me is if teams actually have to start treating Evan Mobley like a capital S shooter out there,” Watkins argued passionately. “If we get to that point break the ceiling off of this thing. It just unlocks so much. But you gotta prove it to teams.”
This isn’t just abstract speculation. The Cavaliers built their offseason strategy around maintaining elite shooting despite losing key contributors. Their offense is designed to create high-quality looks — but someone still has to knock them down.
Fedor remains bullish on the Cavs’ shooting potential: “I would be surprised if the Cavs weren’t top five in every major 3-point category because I think they have the personnel to be that.”
But personnel isn’t enough.
The Cavs need players like Dean Wade and Jaylon Tyson to take more attempts. They need newcomers like Hunter to maintain their hot hands. And most importantly, they need Mobley to force defenses to respect his jumper.
The early returns from preseason were mixed, with the team shooting 32.4% from range — a notable drop from last year’s elite numbers. Was last season’s shooting brilliance an unsustainable hot streak, or did the Cavs truly turn a corner as a franchise?
The answer could determine whether Cleveland remains in the Eastern Conference elite or takes a step backward this season.
Want to dive deeper into the Cavaliers’ three-point shooting conundrum? Listen to the full Wine and Gold Talk podcast where Fedor, Watkins, and host Ethan Sands break down whether the Cavs can maintain their status as one of the NBA’s elite shooting teams despite early-season injuries to key marksmen.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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