Cleveland Cavaliers Have Surpassed Golden State Warriors’ 3-Point Dominance

CLEVELAND — If the Cleveland Cavaliers win their NBA Finals rematch on Christmas Day, it will at least be partially because they beat the Golden State Warriors at their own game.

While Steve Kerr’s group has a reputation as the league’s elite long-range shooting team, the Cavaliers are actually better than Golden State in three-point percentage, attempts and makes per game so far this season.

In fact, Cleveland—at 40 percent from long range—trails only the San Antonio Spurs (40.8) in three-point percentage this season.

“I think it’s the offense we run,” said Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue. “I think it’s the attention that Kevin [Love], Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron [James] draw. And we have great three-point shooters.”

The Cavaliers are also second behind the Houston Rockets in NBA three-point makes (13.4) and attempts (33.4) per game. The Warriors are third and fourth in those respective categories and fifth in three-point percentage. If the season ends with the stats this way, it will be the first time since 2013-14 that Golden State does not lead the NBA in three-point percentage.

According to B/R Insights, Cleveland and the Rockets are on pace to break the Warriors’ single-season record for made three-pointers (1,077), which was set last season.

It’s not like Cleveland has come out of nowhere to pass Golden State either. The Cavaliers have been a quietly proficient three-point team since LeBron James returned, going top-five in both three-point attempts and makes each season.

However, the big difference this season is accuracy, as Cleveland shot 36.2 percent from deep last year.

“We’ve got great three-point shooters, and for us, we try to put the ball on time and on target,” James said. “Then it’s up to our guys to knock it down. Guys are putting their work in, and that’s just the byproduct of it.”

The thumb injury to J.R. Smith—who leads the team with 6.6 three-point attempts per game—might decrease the number of looks the team has per game. But the improved overall three-point shooting actually starts with the team’s three best players, not Smith, who has seen his long-range shooting fall from 40.0 percent last season to 36.2 this season.

From last season, James is up from 30.9 to 37.1 percent, Kyrie Irving from 32.1 to 42.5 and Kevin Love from 36.0 to 40.6. The first full Cavaliers season for Channing Frye (45.1) has also led to the rise in three-point success.

When in charge of the offense, Irving believes he doesn’t have to do much to find open looks for his teammates.

“By just being myself,” Irving said. “By being able to get downhill. Utilize the people around me. When you have the pieces that I have on this …

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