Cavs Notebook: What we’ve learned after the first 30 games

Thirty games into the regular season, the Cavaliers are light-years ahead of where they were at the same juncture last season. Though the recent losses of JR Smith and Chris Andersen have made life more difficult for the Cavaliers, the stability within the franchise has is at an all-time high. That stability is manifesting itself on the court, as the Cavaliers are 23-7 and are winners of 9 of the last 11. At this point of the season, here are a few observations about the Cavaliers’ body of work so far:

Kyrie Irving’s development is what has pushed the Cavaliers to a championship caliber team. 

Some might say that the return of LeBron James is what propelled the Cavs to a championship contender. Those people are correct: James’ return made the Cavaliers a contender. Irving’s development has made the Cavaliers a champion. In Cleveland, James and Irving have been perfect complements.

Since he entered the league, Irving has developed a characteristic only the greatest in the game have. Some call it the “clutch gene.” Others use the affectionate phrase that Irving has “ice water in his veins.” Whatever the case, Irving has a certain level of carelessness that allows him to be one of the best clutch performers in the game. We all remember Irving’s shot to put the Cavaliers ahead for good in Game 7 of last year’s Finals. His shot to ruin the Klay Thompson’s Christmas was only our most recent reminder.

DeAndre Liggins is a great defensive asset

JR Smith’s absence has made DeAndre Liggins an invaluable commodity. Liggins has been effective in starting group guarding the other teams’ point guards. Liggins’ length is enough to disrupt pick and rolls, which makes rotations easier for the Cavalier help defenders. He also allows Kyrie Irving the ability to guard other teams’ shooting guards. Irving is not a great on-ball defender, but has showed his effectiveness off the ball. Playing off the ball allows Irving the ability to shoot passing lanes, something he was able to do effectively against he Warriors on Christmas Day.

Liggins, however, has been somewhat of a liability on offense. At times, Liggins has looked gunshy. Liggins has only played a handful of games thus far, but as teams realize Liggins’ lack of confidence with his jump shot, they will continue to sag off him, which will make things more difficult for the Cavaliers’ big three.

In short, Liggins will be a valuable asset in Smith’s absence, but Liggins likely will not be counted on heavily once Smith returns in late March or early April.

Scoreboard watching

At 23-7, the Cavaliers have a one game lead over the Raptors (22-8) for first place in the Eastern Conference. However, the reality is that the Cavaliers already have won the season series over the Raptors, so in fact, they have a de facto two game lead. With Smith missing significant time and the Cavaliers emphasizing rest over winning regular season games, it is conceivable that the Raptors could overtake the Cavs for best record.

If this were to happen, the Cavaliers would undoubtedly be disappointed, but not at all worried. It is worth noting, however, that the Cavaliers wrap up their regular season on April 12th against the Raptors at Quicken Loans Arena.

Other notes: 

1. When they want to, the Cavaliers have the ability to play lockdown defense. At times, the Cavaliers have been downright bad on the defensive end this season. This was not the case against the NBA’s most explosive offensive team on Christmas Day. With the pace at which the Warriors play, allowing only 108 points was a great showing from the Cavs, especially given that JR Smith has emerged as one of the team’s best perimeter defenders.
2. The Cavaliers do not have to play a perfect game to beat the Warriors. In fact, they were far from perfect on Christmas.
3. For now, the Cavaliers have a psychological advantage on their biggest foe from the Western Conference. After blowing a 3-1 lead in the Finals, blowing a 14 point 4th-quarter lead isn’t exactly what the Warriors needed to get he proverbial monkey off their back. Still, there is no point in putting too much stock in a December game.