National Basketball Association

Cleveland Cavaliers: 5 important numbers after their win over the Philadelphia 76ers

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 1:15 a.m. ET

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Sep 26, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0), forward LeBron James (23) and guard Kyrie Irving (2) pose during a photo session during media day at Cleveland Clinic Courts. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 108-105 Saturday night as they improved to 2-0 in the postseason. What did they learn in victory?

The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night and it ended up behind a close contest played down to the last shot. In the final seconds, the Cavs’ DeAndre Liggins did everything he could to make the shot difficult for 76ers veteran Sergio Rodriguez. The result was a 108-105 win for the Cavaliers and, once again, insight on the team’s roster makeup.

The team played without J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson once again, two players that increase the offensive potency of the starting unit. Jordan McRae used Saturday’s game as another opportunity to prove he belongs in this league. He’s averaging 20.0 points per game in two preseason contests while coming off of the bench.

Also of note was the point guard rotation, with only Kay Felder and Toney Douglas getting backup minutes. Liggins, who was the starter in the Cavs preseason opener, played off-the-ball this game and it allowed him to cut down on his turnovers.

Nonetheless, this was the first appearance for the Cavs Big Three in 2016-17. Kyrie Irving, or “The Ankletaker“, made his first preseason appearance. Having played in the Rio Olympics, Irving didn’t show any rust in his return to the court.

LeBron James was an all-around dominant force for a second straight game. He seems to be in midseason form himself, which is in no small part due to him beginning his offseason training early this summer.

Kevin Love was aggressive from the field, but not inside the paint. The presence of Joel Embiid was indeed a rim-deterrent, but Love missed jumpers he could have made. It wasn’t a good game for Love but it was an opportunity to learn and improve.

The Cleveland Cavaliers improved to 2-0 in the preseason after the win against the Philadelphia 76ers. After the contest, five important numbers shined brightly for the Cavs.

June 19, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) moves the ball against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the second half in game seven of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

30: The number of points Kyrie Irving and LeBron James had in the 1st half

This number doubles as the number of points both they could have had if they played their regular amount of minutes. That’s a good start for what could be the best duo in the NBA. Irving made a number of difficult pull-up shots from mid-range. He got to the rim consistently and finished efficiently. In general, Irving looked a lot quicker and more fluid in his movements than he has over the last year. He is, in fact, healthy. Irving was a willing passer as well and has a nice two-man game going with Iman Shumpert.

James was the most physically imposing player on the court when he drove to the rim, as usual. Yet, James is still looking comfortable making shots from outside the paint. That’s a welcome sight for Cleveland Cavaliers fans who watched James struggle with his shooting consistency since 2014.

When James plays at power forward, and Love moves to the center position, he’ll be nearly unstoppable because of the floor space. James has gotten the shots he wants with Shumpert replacing Smith in the starting lineup, but it’s obvious why James prefers Smith to share the court with him. It makes the game easier for him to operate within so much space.

June 13, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love (0) is defended by Golden State Warriors forward Andre Iguodala (9) and forward Harrison Barnes (40) during the first half in game five of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

0: The number of shots that Kevin Love took inside the paint against the Philadelphia 76ers

Perhaps, with Iman Shumpert playing in place of J.R. Smith, Love feels the need to shoot from the outside in order to space the floor for others. Perhaps, with Embiid lurking in the paint, Love found it more plausible to knock down an open jumper than to make a contested shot over “The Process” in the post. Neither reason is a good enough reason for Love to refuse to attack the rim. Love, with a more sculpted frame, may not be a bully on the block but he has the strength to get shots up through contact.

When Love left the game for the last time, the score was tied 47-47. There’s simply no reason the Philadelphia 76ers should have even made this a contest. One reason they stayed in the game was because of Love’s lack of aggressiveness in the paint. While Embiid may have blocked a couple of those attempts had he tried, he may also have found himself in foul trouble.

With LeBron, Irving, and McRae constantly attacking the rim Embiid racked up four fouls in thirteen minutes. A more aggressive Love could have forced Embiid to foul out. He could have also, as a 81.5 percent free throw shooter for his career, made a bigger scoring impact. It’s only one game but it should be a learning experience for Love.

Apr 13, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Jordan McRae (12) drives to the basket against Detroit Pistons center Aron Baynes (12) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

40: The number of points Jordan McRae has scored in 53 minutes of play

McRae, like Jamal Crawford, has one job when he steps out onto the court. Get buckets. It’s been a coming out party of sorts for McRae.

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In his final season at the University of Tennessee, where he earned the nickname “Orange Mamba” by averaging 18.7 points per game. In two seasons with the Delaware 86ers of the NBA Development League, McRae averaged 21.8 points per game. This past summer, McRae averaged 24.3 points per game for the Cleveland Cavaliers in Las Vegas Summer League action. While he may have just burst onto the scene in the NBA world, McRae has always shown an ability to score.

In his first two preseason games for the Cavs, McRae averaged 20.0 points per game while coming off the bench. He averaged 26.5 minutes a contest. All those numbers mean is that McRae has a good chance to be the Cleveland Cavaliers sixth man next season. With his scoring prowess, McRae has also been able to generate assists at a high level.

Against the 76ers, McRae made sure to find Channing Frye behind the line as he sucked in the defense on his way to run. The combination of McRae’s driving ability, scoring instinct, and assist totals are beginning to make McRae look like a prime candidate to be James’ primary backup when the season starts.

Apr 1, 2016; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Chris Andersen (7) passes the ball against Toronto Raptors forward Jason Thompson (1) during the first half at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

6: The number of assists Chris Andersen has in 29 minutes of play

Frankly, Chris Andersen is an underrated player. He averages 1.4 blocks per game in 17.8 minutes of action in his career. He’s one of the best finishers at his position, able to finish both above-the-rim and with finesse.

Last season, Andersen made 67.4 percent of his shots around the rim. Andersen is also able to hit the occasional jumper and has a good form and mechanics. His touch is decent. If he does miss, it’s the type of miss that can be corralled by a Cavs player rather than one that clangs wide off the rim. In the playoffs, Andersen was responsible for 1.8 screen assists per game. He’s tough and at this stage of his career, a pretty smart player offensively.

Andersen has also shown the ability to be a great passer at this stage of his career. He’s able to consistently deliver connect with teammates for assists because of his awareness and timing. In the 2014-15 season with Miami. Andersen made 43 assists and only had 18 bad passes.

In two preseason games, Andersen has been able to rack up assists with good ball movement, as he hits open shooters, and intent. He’s shown the ability to hit players as they cut towards the rim from the elbow and on his own rolls to the rim. The skilled veteran could see the court more than some expect this season. He’s one of the better passers at his position and that’s not even the best part of his game.

June 2, 2016; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue speaks to media following game one of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

59: The number of assists the Cleveland Cavaliers have after two games

Last season, the Cleveland Cavaliers averaged 22.7 assists per game. In their first two preseason games, the Cavs averaged 29.5 assists per game. That’s a number that would have been the best in the league last season. The Golden State Warriors, who had the best ball movement of any team last year, averaged 28.9 assists per game.

There was a notable difference between the offensive systems of the Cavs and the Warriors last year. The Golden State Warriors constantly whipped passes around defenders until they found the open man. The Cavs, who were more reliant on isolation plays, often found themselves waiting on LeBron James to find the open man.

Through two preseason games, the ball has been whirling around and the Cavs have been able to get clean looks because of the ball movement. Players seem to have taken a page out of the San Antonio Spurs book. They receive a pass and make the decision to pass, shoot or drive within a couple of seconds of touching the ball.

Another boost to the Cavs assist numbers have come from the play of Jordan McRae in the second unit. James hasn’t had a player behind him who could attack the rim like McRae in his entire career. McRae’s ability to get to the rim at will has allowed him to generate assists for the team when James isn’t on the court.

Last season, when James sat, the Cavs assists numbers suffered because they had nobody to attack the rim consistently besides Irving. The team’s inability to generate assists without James on the court, and the team’s overall reliance on isolation plays, was even more pronounced in the playoffs.

Feb 3, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) gets a high five from his teammates guard Kyrie Irving (2) and forward Kevin Love (0) after scoring during the second half of the game against the Charlotte Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena. Hornets win 106-97. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

In Conclusion

The Cleveland Cavaliers learned a bit more about their roster with their win on Saturday night. However, the team isn’t nearly finished exploring the depth of their roster.