Cavs planning to play their core four in preseason against Pistons

Whenever you’re in Cleveland Clinic Courts, the Cavs’ practice facility, you’ll notice sections taped off around the perimeter. Two of which are in the corner. The other two are just above the break of the three-point arc on the wing. They’re there as a reminder of where Cleveland needs to go immediately once they get possession of the ball.

“[The goal is to] keep the middle of the court open,” Atkinson said. “That’s why you can see those spacing markers on the floor to keep the middle open. . . . I call it the Autobahn. [We want to] go fast in those lanes.”

Atkinson’s coaching staff is embracing analytics and a different offensive philosophy. That includes putting up more threes. After last week’s game against the Bulls, Atkinson said that 48 threes “is a good number.” But that also goes along with playing faster. It’s easier to do one if you’re also doing the other.

“Getting to the corner,” Mitchell said when asked about something Atkinson wants to see him do more. “The gravity I have is huge.”

“Running into the corners so we can get open threes,” Garland said. “Kenny’s a big three-point attempt guy.”

It’s preseason, but this coaching staff isn’t paying lip service to the importance of getting out in transition and doing most of their damage there. They’re taking the necessary steps to make it routine on offense. That’s why Atkinson is playing Cleveland’s core four and critical rotation players against Detroit. While preseason games don’t matter record-wise, they impact how the team will play when the games matter most.