Cavs want to play with pace after opponent makes: ‘We’ve been emphasizing that’

The Cavaliers continue to try to implement new wrinkles to their offense.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was complimentary of the Cleveland Cavaliers after his Milwaukee Bucks were blown out and understandably so. The Cavs controlled every aspect of the game. But there was one sequence that stood out to Antetokounmpo afterward.

“There was a play that we scored and they took the ball out and threw the ball ahead,” said Antetokounmpo. “They scored the three, in like, two seconds. They’re definitely one of the best teams in the NBA.”

That play perfectly encapsulated the Cavs' impressive win. Antetokounmpo had a nice alley-oop dunk that could’ve swung momentum Milwaukkee’s way, instead the Cavs responded. Jarrett Allen quickly inbounded it to Ty Jerome, who then threw it ahead to Sam Merrill for the catch-and-shoot three. Giannis hardly crossed half-court by the time the three-pointer went down.

“Man, that was my favorite play of the game,” said Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson when asked about that sequence before Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers. “We’ve been emphasizing that. Getting pace after makes. We even did a silly little drill in practice where the coaches would make it and then the guys would have to run, take it out.”

There’s a reason Giannis brought this play up postgame. Things like this are demoralizing for a team that’s trying to claw their way back into a game. Usually, an emphatic dunk would help shift the momentum. Instead, the Cavs took another step in breaking the will of their opponent.

Plays like this were why Bucks head coach Doc Rivers mentioned afterward that he contemplated not even sending his starters out at the beginning of the second half considering they were playing a game the following night.

“[Sequences like this] are every coach’s nightmare, getting dinged in transition,” Atkinson said. “Because you think it’s a lack of effort. But when the ball is in that quick, it’s tough to get matched up.”

The Cavs have been emphasizing playing with more pace all season. Carrying that from the practice court into games has led to them having the best offense in the league.

“The great thing about this team, you do it in practice, they actually apply it,” Atkinson said. “They’re so coachable. Sometimes in the NBA it’s hit or miss whether [what you practice] translates. And they’ve applied that. Just to see that one action, something we’ve been emphasizing, something we think is important. That bang, bang, like that was pretty cool.”

The Cavs are trying to add enough things to the offense so that it doesn’t let them down again in the playoffs. Atkinson has mentioned that the postseason is in the back of his mind at all times. That’s why finding additional and varied ways to attack an offense is so important. There’s always room to improve.

“I think we have a lot of things we can do better,” said Donovan Mitchell about the offense after Saturday’s win. “I think on a consistent basis, not slowing our pace. ... It’s hard to complain when you do a lot of good things. But you know, there’s definitely ways we could be better, more efficient top to bottom. ... But we’re doing a good job, but the biggest thing is, can we continue to do it on a night-to-night basis?”