Defense wins championships. It’s one of the oldest sayings in sports. Cleveland Cavaliers They had one of the best defenses in the NBA the last few seasons, but still didn’t make it as far as they would have liked in the postseason.

Kenny Atkinson was brought in to take the Cavs’ core to the next level. Specifically, the transition from playoff team to bona fide Finals contender would occur on the offensive end of the court.

Through the first eight games of the season, the Cavs have the second-best offensive rating in the league (121.0), narrowly behind the Boston Celtics (121.8).

But Cleveland’s offense wasn’t the only factor contributing to its excellent start. The team also defends hard, especially on the perimeter, which creates more opportunities and more points for the Wine and Gold.

Cavs right now leading the NBA 23.5 points per game with turnovers. They also rank second in the league with 9.9 steals per game.

This was a critical point in the Cavs’ last win. Milwaukee BucksCleveland scored 24 points off Milwaukee’s miscues.

Looking at recent dew seasons and the current state of the team, it’s a bit surprising to see Wine and Gold leading the way in this category.

Cleveland consistently had one of the best defenses in the NBA under former coach JB Bickerstaff. The defensive scheme was definitely one of his strengths and it showed on the field.

With the Cavs’ greater emphasis on offense under Atkinson, there were certainly questions about whether this group would take a step back on the defensive end as they look to increase the tempo and score possessions.

But the Wine and Gold continue to be a strong force on defense through the first two weeks of the season and feature incredible natural defenders like Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro.

The offense will continue to play a critical role in Cleveland’s overall ceiling, but their defense and creating those easy scoring opportunities for themselves will also be key to a deep playoff run.