Those Who Can't, Can't

Following last night’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Cavaliers’ coach Mike Brown talked about how the up tempo offense and his defensive philosophy do not mix.  The wine and gold have regressed greatly on defense this season, allowing an average of over 100 points per game.  The most important Cav, LeBron James disagreed that the defensive lapses are caused by the offense; James said the team just needs to defend better.  I agree with the King.

The two ends of the floor are mutually exclusive.  The San Antonio Spurs, you know them, the World Champions, like to push the ball at every opportunity, but they are an excellent defensive team.  The great Celtic teams of the 1960’s were also good defensive squads that ran fast break offenses.  In fact, most coaches will tell you that a running offense starts with good defense, causing teams to miss shots, and then getting the ball of the glass and pushing it up the floor.

The problem is, as it was last year, the Cavaliers are giving playing time to guys who cannot play defense.  I understand what Damon Jones gives the team when they have the ball, but he couldn’t guard a phone booth straight up.  When you think about it, who are the wine and gold’s best defenders?  James is certainly improved from last season, but Drew Gooden can’t defend the pick and roll, Zydrunas Ilgauskas has problems with mobile big men, and Daniel Gibson is still learning.  This is where Larry Hughes and Eric Snow are missed, on the defensive end.

Off the bench, newcomer Devin Brown has a defensive mindset, and Dwayne Jones tries hard, but is physically overmatched by bigger guys.  Ira Newble is a good defender, but his minutes are inconsistent.  If Brown wants the defense to get better, he should play guys who work on that end of the floor.  Remember, the Cavs started playing better last year when their defense picked up, and that coincided with the benching of Damon Jones.  If Brown is stressing defense, then those who can’t play it, shouldn’t be playing.

Maybe it’s time to give some of the other players a chance to show they can contribute on the defensive end.  Give Snow the time Damon Jones is currently getting.  Maybe throw Shannon Brown out there to see if he can guard someone.  Anderson Varejao played the pick and roll well, and did the little things like drawing charges, etc., one losing one guy doesn’t cause any team to give up 10 more points per game.  However, losing the Wild Thing, Snow, and Hughes is causing the problem.

Again, LBJ is correct on the situation.  You can play good defense without walking the ball up the court.  The entire team has to make a commitment on that end of the floor, starting with tonight’s game against Minnesota.  There is no reason not to push the ball as much as possible when you have the best physical specimen in the NBA with LeBron James.  He can run the floor and is a mismatch for whoever is against him, especially in the open court.  If the coach wants to stress defense, he should adjust his playing rotation accordingly.  You can’t expect a poor defender to start playing like one. 

JK