Nearly 30 games into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled to stay fully healthy. Recently, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson even joked that every time a player returns to the field, Cleveland loses another in his place. This joke unfortunately came about after the Cavs welcomed sharpshooter Max Strus while losing forward Isaac Okoro to a right shoulder injury.

Regardless, despite the injuries, Cleveland is still the No. 1 team in the NBA. However, the Cavs have dealt with so many injuries over the course of the season that it could be holding them back. Despite having the best offense in the league, Cleveland may not be able to reach its full potential due to not having all hands on deck.

Still, it seems like these lingering injuries haven’t done anything to slow the Cavs down. Instead, in most cases, it feels like Cleveland’s offensive dominance is inevitable. Cleveland’s dominant victory over the Philadelphia 76ers marked the third straight game in which the Cavs scored more than 120 points. They did this without Okoro and Strus, two key rotation players.

“I think we have a good selection,” Atkinson said. “I don’t think it’s one thing. We’re not all pick-and-roll, we’re not all transition. We have a pretty good balance when it comes to shooting.”

How the Cavs found offensive balance despite constant injuries

To Atkinson’s credit, Cleveland’s balanced shooting profile is what made them so dominant. In the outfield, the Cavs have six players who have a hit rate of more than 40% on more than two three-point attempts per game. This, in turn, has allowed Cleveland to lead the league in three-point percentage and hit 40.5% of its attempts per game.

“When you shoot the three like that, everything opens up,” Atkinson said. “Any guy we throw out can pretty much shoot. (Jarrett Allen) is probably your only non-three-point shooter. So that gives us a huge advantage.”

To complement its three-point shooting-based focus, Cleveland is working on getting on offense and getting to its shots quickly. On average, the Cavs need 13.7 seconds of the 24 seconds they have on offense, which is the sixth-fastest time in the NBA. The increased pace has also led to a selfless, team-oriented identity, where everyone on Cleveland’s roster gets a chance to share offensive responsibilities.

“It doesn’t let the defense open up,” Cavs star Evan Mobley said. “When you’re on the floor in about six seconds, the defense isn’t set yet. Mismatches that play a role in it. Once the defense is set, scoring is difficult in the NBA. So the faster you play, the easier it is.”

Is Cleveland’s newfound offensive dynamic sustainable?

Playing with speed and space has been a consistent recipe for success for Cleveland this season. The Cavs’ surgical approach constantly creates and exploits mismatches and opportunities, regardless of who is on the field. This breeds consistency and mutual trust, giving Cleveland the added luxury of continuity whenever they face adversity on the court.

“You can tell we’re having a lot of success and we just don’t get tired of the repetition,” said superstar Donovan Mitchell. “And sometimes it can be monotonous, over and over again, but that’s what makes you a great team.”

Although all signs point to this Cavs team being a serious title threat, most of what they do doesn’t matter unless it carries over to the postseason. It’s only December right now and even though Cleveland is the frontrunner, that means nothing unless the Cavs win it all.

“Ultimately, we’re going to judge (the offense) based on how they transition into the playoffs,” Atkinson said. “That’s always in the back of my mind when I think about the teams we have to play against. How can we even improve this? Because we know the defense, it’s a different matter. So that will be the big challenge.”