The Cleveland Cavaliers, who are at the top of the NBA, are one of the league’s best stories.

With an established superstar in Donovan Mitchell leading the team and a rising star in Evan Mobley adding to the ceiling, this Cleveland team is in the midst of a truly special season. With new head coach Kenny Atkinson overhauling their offensive approach, the Cavs have finally overcome their biggest hurdle in recent seasons, holding the best offensive rating (120.6) in the NBA through 27 games.

Cleveland began the season with a historic 15-game winning streak and suffered its first loss to the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics. Since then, the Cavs have maintained their dominance over the Eastern Conference and exacted revenge on the Celtics in their next meeting.

Last season, the same team was considered a hopeful contender, but was far from where it needed to be. Despite the All-Star talent in the starting lineup, the Cavs’ offense was sluggish, predictable and stale. The incessantly high pick-and-roll strategy served them well in the regular season, but quickly failed in a seven-game series where the opponent was able to analyze their game plan and exploit the weaknesses.

Solving this problem seemed to require a major change in personnel. Former coach JB Bickerstaff seemingly tried every strategy to get the best out of his core four of Mitchell, Mobley, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. The Cavaliers had an unconventional core, employing two smaller guards and two non-shooting big men. Bickerstaff wavered for minutes but could never find the winning formula.

The Cavaliers were expected to make big changes

This past offseason began with a shocking article stating that Garland’s representation at Klutch Sports would seek a trade for the one-time All-Star if Mitchell signed a contract extension this summer. The news sent shockwaves throughout the league, as there had been no signs of discontent from either guard in the past. On the pitch, they hugged each other and cheered for each other’s success.

If Garland were out, the Cavaliers would certainly expect another star in return. New Orleans Pelicans winger Brandon Ingram has emerged as a top prospect. Allen also joined the rumor mill as a trade candidate as he is valued throughout the league as a premier shot blocker and interior defender. The Pelicans have shown interest in Allen over the years, opening the door to an Allen-for-Ingram trade.

Surprisingly, nothing happened. The Cavaliers instead extended Mitchell, Mobley and Allen. Garland, whose contract has already been extended long-term, was the only core member not to sign a new contract last summer. The Cavs sent a clear message that they will bounce back and trust this team. Atkinson’s vision for the team would be the biggest change of the offseason. So far it’s hard to deny the results.

Cleveland’s cohesion is their secret weapon

Player movement in the NBA appears to be at an all-time high. While it has always been a large part of the league, superstars are rarely as tied to a single franchise as they have been in the past, for better or worse.

As for the Cavaliers, the core players and supporting cast have all remained this season. Cleveland’s only addition to the roster was rookie Jaylon Tyson, selected 20th overall. Otherwise, all of the same faces that were present at the start of last season returned.

With the culture and trust already in place, Atkinson wasted no time in implementing his changes. The former Brooklyn Nets head coach immediately showcased his NBA intelligence, deploying a revamped, high-octane offense that emphasized ball movement and team-first play. However, Atkinson didn’t completely reinvent the wheel in Cleveland. He varies minutes wildly between the frontcourt and backcourt stars, but he has expanded his rotation to 10 or 11 players per night and generally emphasizes limited playing time.

Rather than swapping the core, Atkinson’s system expands each individual’s role. Mitchell is still at the helm, but Mobley is posting a career-high usage rate (23.4%) and is getting more opportunities to lead the offense. Alongside Mobley and Mitchell, Garland has returned to his All-Star form with confident play and deadly long-range shots. The former fifth overall pick has shot 41.8 percent from distance on nearly seven attempts per game, both numbers that represent career highs.

As for Allen, Atkinson has found a uniquely effective role for Fro. Averaging just 13.6 points per game, Allen has controlled the Cavaliers’ tempo by crashing the boards and blocking opposing shots. He averages the fewest minutes of the core four, playing just 29.7 minutes per game. In a slightly smaller role, Allen is one of the most efficient players in the league. He has an effective field goal percentage of 69.5 and grabs 10.3 rebounds per game, leading the Cavaliers.

In fact, Cleveland’s Allen may be the only player in the NBA who would be so content playing essentially a bench role in the starting lineup. Allen is rarely a member of the closing unit, as Atkinson typically places Mobley in the middle with a floor spacer at the four. Allen’s incredibly selfless nature is an underrated but crucial factor in the Cavaliers’ success.

In his first season with Cleveland, Atkinson found the hidden formula to victory. It wasn’t just about the core team, but also about the cohesion within the squad. With two Sixth Man of the Year candidates on the bench (Ty Jerome and Caris LeVert) and a career year for Isaac Okoro at starting small forward, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ recent era has been nothing short of spectacular so far.