The Cavs are the new Warriors and they’re just getting started

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green probably isn’t the most eager person to compliment the Cleveland Cavaliers, but even he couldn’t help himself after what he saw last week.

“They’re so intentional about the extra pass and it’s a prerequisite for us to get swing, swing,” Green said after facing the Cavs. “That’s what we’ve been preaching for years and they’ve been cutting us to pieces with it.”

“I was so happy with what Draymond said the other day,” Kenny Atkinson, who served as an assistant at Golden State for three seasons, said after the win against the Chicago Bulls. “(Our offense) is Warriors-like.”

The Cavs have deliberately copied what the Warriors created for years. So far it’s producing similar results as the Cavs currently have the best offense in the league.

“The way we want to play is very similar,” said Ty Jerome, who has spent time with both organizations. “The space, the pace, the ball movement, the shot selection, that will be similar.”

Friday’s match was another example of this. The Cavaliers opened with 49 points in the first quarter. They closed the game with 19 in the final two minutes to improve their point differential in the NBA Cup. Both barrages were similar to what those top Warriors teams were known for as well.

“That’s what I was thinking today,” Caris LeVert said when asked about Atkinson’s comparison to Golden State. “When the game first started, Donovan (Mitchell) hit three or four threes and Darius (Garland) hit three or four threes. I know they thought, ‘Damn, these guys don’t miss.’ And when I first came into the league, that’s what it felt like when we played the Warriors.

The Warriors made it work with two of the best shooters of all time in their backcourt. The Cavs don’t have that, but Mitchell and Garland have different skills that allow this team to function in a similar but different way.

For Mitchell, it’s about being willing to embrace a different offense than he’s been used to since his days with the Utah Jazz and his last two years in Cleveland.

“We came into this with a self-response and understanding that we were getting rid of (the ball),” Mitchell said. “I keep bringing the corners forward, but I sprint to the corners and (force) the defense at a distance to look at where we are.”

His head coach also noticed this.

“It’s not just that he dominates the ball all the time,” Atkinson said of Mitchell. “He knows when he’s going to get his touches. He knows which setups he plays with, where he can put his accents. He’s in a great niche and a great role right now.”

This attack only works if you also have a good ball mover. So far, Garland has been.

“He’s a great passer,” Atkinson said. “I don’t say this lightly. I don’t think he’s a good passer.”

The two senior guards have set the tone for how the Cavs want to play, but it’s something the entire team has fully bought into and made it work.

“I think I’m just hitting singles, not trying to really hit the home run,” LeVert said.

“You’re not going to hit a home run every game. When I come out of a pick-and-roll, a lot of times it won’t be to just come down and get a layup or make a great play. This play could easily be: Come off and hit the next guy who’s wide open. It’s not a beautiful piece, but it gives energy. The ball has energy as soon as you hit the open man. Your teammate does the same and it becomes a domino effect.”

The individual game that stages everything may not be pretty, but the end result is so far.

“We don’t have that hierarchy,” Atkinson said. “We just have incredible chemistry, an incredible understanding of each other and respect for each other. It is beautiful, beautiful to look at.”

It’s easy to see the similarities between this version of the Cavs and the early Warriors dynasty. Both teams took a risk and hired a new coach to help them get over the top. Both teams have sometimes been overlooked due to their unconventional style and team-building philosophy. And both teams win because of the strength of their depth.

The Cavs are in the midst of a fourteen-game winning streak to start the season. That hasn’t happened since the 2015-16 Warriors. They do this by embracing a new offensive system while maintaining their defensive identity. That’s the key to what made Golden State work.

The scary thing for the Cavs is that they’re just getting started.

“We’re going to build on it,” Mitchell said of the offense’s start. “We’re not perfect, but we’re playing well.”