#3 High octane offense and suffocating defense
Part of the reason why the Cavaliers have been this great is their talent on a weaker Eastern Conference. All through the Playoffs they played against teams that were both young and inexperienced or talent deprived or simply banged up. Having said that credit should be given where it’s due. No matter what the circumstances, Cleveland has flat out dominated the Eastern Conference Playoffs and they have done it on both ends of the floor.
They rank No.1 on offense in the Playoffs (including teams in the West) with a net offensive efficiency rating of 116.2, leading the league in field goal percentage inside and beyond the three-point line. They average 14.4 threes (lead the league) per game at a percentage of 43.4 (lead the league). Their combined field goal percentage of 47.5% is also the highest among all the teams in the post-season.
The only thing that offense still has to face is a large lead in a crunch situation. Before Game 3 against the Raptors, the Cavaliers never lost a game let alone being blown out of one and against the Warriors unless they play flawless basketball every minute, they are going to have to make a run sometimes under pressure. Other than that, their offense has been firing all cylinders all post-season.
While their defense hasn’t been their calling card all season, it was their pillar of confidence during their Finals run last year and they have made it that during these Playoffs. They rank 4th among teams this post-season, allowing their opponents to score only 94.3 points per game on average. Although their defensive stats don’t showcase any dominance, their ability to adapt to opposition’s style of play and defend accordingly is tremendous and was showcased in the series against the Raptors.
