CLEVELAND, Ohio — Every NBA team claims they want to play faster during training camp. The Cavs are actually proving it.
As the team opened training camp at IMG Academy in Florida, they unveiled a distinctive drill that rewards players not for making baskets, but for how quickly they move the ball to specific spots on the court — a telling sign that their commitment to increased pace goes far beyond the usual preseason lip service.
“The points weren’t coming from making baskets, twos and threes,” explained Chris Fedor on the latest Wine and Gold Talk podcast. “The points were coming from, are you doing the things that you need to do with the kick aheads and the kick across and stuff like that? And if they did it in a certain amount of time quickly, because everything that they want to do is quickly, they got more points.”
This innovative approach represents what Fedor calls “drastic measures” in Cleveland’s quest to build upon last season’s offensive success.
The Cavaliers ranked 10th in pace during the regular season and sixth among playoff teams — respectable numbers they’re clearly determined to improve.
“When you start to hear those things and then you see the quote, unquote, drastic measures that the Cavs are taking to implement those kinds of things, you start to say to yourself, okay, maybe it’s not just training camp fodder,” Fedor noted.
The strategic emphasis extends beyond simply pushing the ball upcourt.
It’s about creating advantages against defenses designed to disrupt Cleveland’s primary ball-handlers. By encouraging whoever is closest to the ball — be it Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, or even Sam Merrill — to initiate offense quickly, the Cavaliers hope to prevent opponents from dictating their offensive rhythm.
One key element in this philosophy? The acquisition of Lonzo Ball.
“Lonzo Ball is the one that makes me believe that this is more than just your usual training camp fodder,” emphasized Jimmy Watkins. “Because for his entire career, literally as a rookie, when he was on the court, the Lakers were in transition 2 1/2% more often. That was the 91st percentile in the league. He’s just been doing this his whole life.”
Ball’s elite outlet passing, above-average rebounding for his position, and instinctive transition game make him the perfect catalyst for Cleveland’s tempo transformation.
As Watkins explained, Ball’s impact on pace has been consistent throughout his career: “In four of those seasons with him on the court, the transition frequency increase has been in the 90th percentile or better. This dude equals pace.”
The broader vision extends to players like Evan Mobley as well. By improving his ball-handling skills (a specific offseason focus), Mobley can now grab defensive rebounds and immediately push upcourt against slower big men — creating mismatches before defenses can set.
It’s worth noting that “pace” isn’t just about fast break points. It’s about initiating offensive actions earlier in the shot clock, allowing for multiple actions if the first option fails. For a team that already boasted the second-best offense in NBA history last season, these refinements could make them even more lethal.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
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