The 3-Point Happy Cavaliers: Cleveland’s Scary Efficiency Beyond The Arc

Image source: inquisitr.com

Things are definitely looking good for the Cleveland Cavaliers as they swept the Atlanta Hawks under the rug. In the postseason, the Cavaliers have yet to lose. It also seems that they are just cruising through the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Detroit Pistons and Hawks, Cleveland’s first and second round opponents, respectively, were truly hopeful that they could beat the Cavaliers this time around. However, Cleveland responded with a totally different offensive strategy: take a lot of threes. Cleveland now holds the record for most 3-pointers during a single game in the post-season at 25. This is definitely a shock to most because this is the first time that they have done a feat as massive as this. In the past, their offense revolved around Lebron James and a lot of isolation plays. Now, however, they are moving the ball in the hopes of getting an open three-point shot. They are dangerously efficient beyond the arc as most of their attempts go in. The question that lingers in everyone’s minds including mine: Where did this 3-point happy time come from?

Image source: thisiscleveland.com

According to veteran James Jones, it was due to their personnel that catalyzed the drastic transformation of the Cavs postseason. General manager David Griffin had a vision of surrounding James and Kyrie Irving with an abundance of shooters. He acted on it and is now reaping the fruits of his labor. The game of basketball is continuing to evolve as spacing is becoming more and more paramount. The Cavaliers are riding their coattails much to the dismay of other teams.

I’m Tim Eckersley, a freelance sports writer and basketball fan from San Francisco. I mostly cover the NBA, FIBA, and Olympic basketball. Please follow me on Twitter.

San Francisco: The Golden State Warriors Go Back Home In 2019

Image source: latimes.com

The Golden State Warriors have called Oakland, California their home since 1972. The Warriors franchise was established way back in 1946, as one of the founding members of the Basketball Association of America. In 1962, the franchise moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, adopting the moniker San Francisco Warriors until 1971 when the geographic name was changed to Golden State. A year later, they relocated to Oakland. 

Image source: chasecenter.com

In 2019 however, the Golden State Warriors, will be returning to San Francisco. Their new home will be a $1 billion, state-of-the-art, 18,500-seat arena that will be called Chase Center. 

The Warriors already have one of the loudest and most passionate fan bases in any sport. Opposing teams dread playing in the Bay Area, where the Dubs have lost just 4 out of 82 regular season games the past two years. A chunk of the credit is due to the support of the home crowd.

Imagine then how much more successful the team can be when it finally relocates to Mission Bay. San Franciscans cannot wait to fill the arena up and cheer for their champions. 

Hi, Tim Eckersley here, I am a freelance sportswriter, passionate about the NBA, and an avid supporter of my Golden State Warriors. I was born, raised, and studied journalism in San Francisco. Follow me on Twitter for more articles about basketball and sports, in general.