The Cleveland Cavaliers have managed to get themselves out of a 5-7 start to the season by fine-tuning some of the defensive aspects that had proved gutting to their success.
The Cavs ranked dead last in the league in three-point percentage against, allowing a league-worst 41.1 percent from deep — but during their recent five-game win streak, the wine-and-gold have managed to go from worst to the best in the league, allowing opponents to shoot only 31.3 percent from deep.
Cavs during 5-7 start: 41.1% opponent 3pt shooting, 30th in NBA
Cavs during 5-0 run: 31.3% opponent 3pt shooting, 1st in NBA
— Greg Swartz (@GregSwartzBR) November 22, 2017
This short sample size can be the start of something the Cavs can aim to keep, but word to the wise — two of the five teams rank in the bottom third of the league in three-point shooting, making them inefficient by nature.
Out of the five teams, Detroit is the only team proved as a major perimeter threat, ranking sixth in the league in long-range artillery at 38.5 percent. The Pistons shot a healthy 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) against the Cavs, making their outings against the Dallas Mavericks and the Charlotte Hornets their main aid to holding teams to 31.3 percent over the five-game span.
More than anything, the Cavs will need consistency with this, as teams grow more and more reliant on their three-point prowess (them included) and could carve out huge leads if allowed to fire on all cylinders.