Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 Cavs Who Are Having Career Years
Dec 9, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) and forward Kevin Love (0) celebrate during the first half against the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Cavaliers are one if not the most difficult team in the NBA to defend, and it is partially due to three players who are having career years.
Sitting at 19-6, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the top dog in the Eastern Conference. They are led by LeBron James, who is one of the NBA’s perennial superstars, but it has not only been him who has been stepping their game up.
The Cavaliers offense has been rolling this season. They are a top five team in points per game and a top ten team in field goal percentage. Along with that, they have been able to outdo the Warriors at their own game; they average 13.4 threes per game compared to the Warriors mere 12.0.
As a whole, the Cavaliers only weakness is the amount that they get to the line. But if they continue to win and space the floor, that seems to be irrelevant.
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This 19-6 record is not just a 32 year old LeBron James dominating every game. LeBron James or King James as many call him has had the best passing year of his career averaging 9.0 assist per game, and he has greatly benefitted from these three teammates.
Oct 18, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert (4) against the Washington Wizards at the Jerome Schottenstein Center. The Wizards won 96-91. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Iman Shumpert has been quietly having a fantastic season.
While in past years Iman Shumpet has been known for his defensive ability, this season Shump has expanded into an offense force also.
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Shumpert, who is now 26, has not panned out like many hoped that his athleticism and shooting ability would have. Shumpert started his first three and a half seasons for the New York Knicks before taking a backseat in a trade that sent him to Cleveland with teammate J.R. Smith.
Not until this season has Shump seemed to really click with this Cavaliers team. He has scored only 7.1 points per game this season, but per 36 minutes that is the third best of his career. His scoring ability is not the reason he is quietly having a breakout year though. It is his efficiency that is career-transforming.
Iman Shumpert is shooting a career-high is every major trackable shooting stat. He is shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 85.7% from the line. His advanced shooting stats also tell the story of Shumpert’s efficient season. He has a 63.3 true shooting percentage which factors in shooting from the field with free throw shooting.
As Shump is forced to man the second unit, he has often times been overlooked, but it is time to start giving this second-unit force some credit. But he is not the only Cavalier that needs praised for this East-leading start to the season.
Nov 1, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) reacts to a three point basket in the second half against the Houston Rockets at Quicken Loans Arena. Cleveland won 128-120. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Kevin Love is easily having his best year in Cleveland.
Kevin Love is another Cleveland Cavalier that came over in a trade to form this super team. It is hard to say that Kevin Love is having a career-year since he was a one-man show in Minnesota, therefore he was an established superstar before coming to Cleveland.
To many fans surprise, K-Love is having one of the best years of all his career.
He is averaging 22.3 points per game which is the third best of his career behind two Minnesota years when he averaged 26+ points per game. His rebounding is also high at 10.7 rebounds per game, and if it stays as is, he will be looking at his sixth season of averaging a double-double.
Love is also having the most effective year of his career. His 46.8% from the field is the second best of his career and his 2.6 threes per game is the most of his career. Not to mention his OUTSTANDING 61.9 true shooting percentage.
Love is one of just thirteen players to be averaging a double-double this season. He has been a huge X-factor for the Cavaliers, and K-Love is finally making Cavalier fans appreciate their trade that sent Wiggins to Minnesota.
Nov 11, 2016; Washington, DC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) gestures on the court against the Washington Wizards in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Cavaliers won 105-94. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Kyrie Irving is the future of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Even before LeBron came to Cleveland, Kyrie Irving was slowly becoming a household name, and after the last NBA Finals, I did not believe it could get better. Now I believe that Kyrie’s greatness is just being overshadowed by the world’s best player, LeBron James.
Kyrie Irving has been doing absolute work for the Cleveland Cavaliers. He averages 23.8 points per game which is fourteenth in the NBA, and he is only 24 years old. Anthony Davis is the only current player younger than Kyrie to average that many points.
Surprisingly, Kyrie follows both Kevin Love and Iman Shumpert because this is his most effective year also. He’s shooting 48.1% from the field and has a true shooting percentage of 58.6. Kyrie has also had the ability to show off his handles multiple times this season including this nasty behind the back dribble into a layup.
21 points, 12 assists and countless highlights.
WATCH: https://t.co/c7i5daHXCK#DefendTheLand pic.twitter.com/gBk5IifyAU
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) December 18, 2016
Kyrie has been an absolute animal this season, and this should continue in “the Land” for quite some time.
The Cavaliers are no doubt the best team in the East, and with these three playing at their peak, they are no doubt the best team in the NBA.
