It seems we are always talking about the big trade when discussing the Cleveland Cavaliers. The deal beefed up the outside shooting and the interior defense, both important components for teams chasing a title. However, one weakness still remains for the Cavs, and that is how to defend quick point guards that can penetrate. It’s the reason the wine and gold lost three out of four to the Milwaukee Bucks this season, and one reason why they were swept by San Antonio in The Finals.
Tony Parker was the MVP of The Finals last season for a reason, the Cavs couldn’t stop him from going to the basket, and when they played off of him, he hit shots from outside. In the teams’ recent struggles, the same problem has popped up; guys like Devin Harris, Raymond Felton, and Mo Williams have had big games against Cleveland because the Cavs lack the personnel to stop these types of players.
They are hoping to resolve this when Daniel Gibson returns from his ankle injury, hopefully tonight. Still, will his quickness be compromised by the injury? If it is, the team could have a problem come playoff time when they play a team with a drive and dish point guard. It won’t come into play against the Pistons, but a first round match up against Toronto could be a problem because of Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford, and the Celtics have lightning quick Rajon Rondo, who could give the Cleveland guards fits.
Coach Mike Brown likes size, especially in the backcourt. It’s one of the reasons he moved Sasha Pavlovic into the starting lineup last season to pair with Larry Hughes. It gave the Cavs two starting guards over 6’5” for opponents to contend with. This year, he has Delonte West, listed at 6’4” with long arms and Pavlovic starting, with Devin Brown coming off the bench. However, none of this trio can defend someone with a decided quickness advantage against them. Unless Gibson steps up, and he is not regarding as a great defender, Cleveland will continue to have problems against teams with the Tony Parker type point guard.
Danny Ferry and Brown feel the Cavs don’t need a traditional point guard because of the presence of James, who of course, is a marvelous playmaker. However, from a defensive standpoint, that type of guard is needed because other teams have them. Another option is to play zone defense against teams that have penetrators, but it seems the coach is loath to do so. That is a weakness of a young head coach. Even Bob Knight used zones as he advanced in his coaching career. The job is to win the game, right?
It looks like as much as the Cavs need Gibson’s perimeter shooting (All Star weekend showed he is one of the league’s best pure shooters), they need his defensive ability more. Quite possibly, he is the only guy on the roster who can possibly stop guys like Calderon and Rondo. A lot of responsibility for a second year player, no? However, stopping these types of players might be necessary if the wine and gold want to get back to The Finals.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 