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Cavs Draining Threes At Record Pace, And Therefore, Reigning Supreme

Originally posted on Hoops Wire | By Sam Amico | Last updated Dec 6, 2024 4:46 PM ET

The Cavaliers are on a roll, folks. A 20-3 start, tied for the fastest in franchise history, and they’re doing it with an old-school mindset and a modern twist. Defense, discipline, and lights-out shooting.

And, oh yeah, they just survived another Nikola Jokic triple-double, his 139th, pushing him past Magic Johnson on the all-time list. But guess what? Cleveland didn’t blink.

The Nuggets poured in 76 points in the paint — 76! — but the Cavs calmly buried 22 threes and walked away with a 126-114 win.

Say what you want about today’s NBA, but Cleveland’s proving that in this league, if you hit your threes, you hit the jackpot. It’s that simple. And right now, nobody’s playing this numbers game better than the Cavs.

Caris LeVert? A flamethrower, going 5-of-6 from deep. Donovan Mitchell? Torching the nets at 6-of-10. Even Evan Mobley — yes, that Evan Mobley — splashed three triples.

Kenny Atkinson has these guys firing from everywhere, and it’s paying off in historic fashion. The Cavs lead the NBA in 3-point percentage at 40.5% and are undefeated, 17-0, when they hit just 35% of their deep shots. It’s no wonder Atkinson is calling them a “super excellent shooting team.”

And here’s the kicker: this isn’t just chucking for chucking’s sake. Cleveland generates quality looks, ranking at the top of the league in shot quality. Mitchell and Darius Garland orchestrate a symphony on offense, and the rest of the roster? They’ve bought in, from Ty Jerome (a legit Most Improved candidate) to Isaac Okoro to the big men spacing the floor.

Yes, there have been hiccups — a two-game skid against Atlanta comes to mind — but every time they stumble, they recover. Case in point: a bounce-back win against Boston that saw them rain 17 threes on the reigning champs.

Even with Jokic putting up historic numbers, the Cavs’ defense stayed composed. Jarrett Allen and Mobley made life tough for the former MVP, and Cleveland stuck to the game plan: make him a scorer, not a playmaker.

The Cavs aren’t just hot — they’re for real. Keep shooting, Cleveland. It’s working.