Cleveland may be entering Friday’s lone visit of the season to New Orleans sporting a 17-41 record, but the Cavaliers have gone 3-1 under their new head coach and are elite in at least one category: rebounding. The Central Division team is ranked No. 1 in the NBA in offensive rebounding percentage (29.9) and is fourth in overall percentage (51.4). Those season-long numbers are even more impressive when you consider that the Cavs only recently traded for the league’s best individual boardman in center Andre Drummond, who’s only played five games for them.
Drummond has already been ruled out of Friday’s game due to a calf injury, but even with him sidelined, New Orleans (25-33) is placing an emphasis on trying to be as effective as possible on the glass.