Cavaliers power rankings spot shakes up after New Year's Day

The Cleveland Cavaliers are turning a corner after picking up some quality wins at the start of the new year.

The team beat the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix Suns, and Denver Nuggets to start a 3-game win streak. But it came crashing down after a loss to the Detroit Pistons at home. Despite the loss, NBA.com writer John Schuhmann conducted his weekly power rankings and placed the Cavs at number 15, one spot higher than the previous edition.

"The Cavs went 3-3 in a stretch of six straight games against teams with winning records, continuing to show some signs of the team they were last season. They’re just a half-game behind the Magic for a spot in the East’s top six," Schuhmann wrote.

"The Cavs are now just one loss from matching their total from last season, and their challenging (and season-defining?) stretch continues with a home-and-home set with Minnesota this week. They scored almost 128 points per 100 possessions as they swept the season series last year."

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson reacts against the Detroit Pistons. | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Cavs make slow progress in NBA power rankings

Big reason for the Cavs' recent success has been the re-introduction of Evan Mobley to the starting lineup. Mobley is Cleveland's best defensive player, so having him has been a major plus for the Cavs.

"Evan Mobley was back in the starting lineup last week and the Cavs’ four games were their best stretch of defense this season (105.3 points allowed per 100 possessions)," Schuhmann wrote.

"Three of the four opponents had top-10 offenses (though the Nuggets were obviously shorthanded) and they held the four to just 45.1% shooting in the paint. They rank third in opponent field goal percentage in the paint (54.8%) for the season, and that mark has been a tick lower (54.6%) with Mobley on the floor."

While the Cavs are performing better on defense, the team is still struggling on the offensive side of the ball.

"The offense is still searching for some consistency, and the Cavs scored just 110 points on 101 possessions as their three-game winning streak came to an end against the Pistons on Sunday," Schuhmann wrote.

"That included just 43 points on 48 possessions with Donovan Mitchell and/or Mobley on the bench, and they’ve now been 15.7 points per 100 possessions better offensively with Mitchell on the floor (119.8 scored per 100) than they’ve been with him off the floor (104.1). That differential last season was just 1.5 per 100."

The Cavs will look to bounce back as they take on the Indiana Pacers tomorrow at 7 p.m. ET inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or stream it on NBA League Pass.