The Cleveland Cavaliers are going through a period where they aren’t playing very well. They are sloppy on offense and seem bored and listless on defense until the fourth quarter when the game is on the line. They certainly don’t seem like the same regular season team that played last season.
Yet, they are 19-7 and on a four game winning streak.
That speaks to the talent on the team, and their ability to make plays when it counts. It also speaks to the fact they have the best player on the planet in LeBron James, who takes over games and prevents defeats.
Perhaps this is again another way in which this organization mimics the San Antonio Spurs, who have won four championships since the arrival of Tim Duncan in 1998-99.
The most games San Antonio has won in the regular season is 63, which occurred in 2005-06, a season in which they lost in the Western Conference finals. In the seasons where they won a championship, the most games they won was 60 in 2002-03.
Coach Gregg Popovich uses the early regular season to develop players and establish rotations. He is confident in his team’s ability to win on the road, even in the playoffs. So, he doesn’t put the pedal to the metal early in the season, he takes care of the health of his players, particularly the ones who have some age on them.
Granted, the Cavaliers do not have the comfort or experience of having won a title, but it’s hard to believe the wine and gold are playing their best ball right now.
The lack of defensive intensity is startling because it is what Mike Brown hangs his hat on. His Cavaliers are a defensive minded squad because it is a constant. It should show up every night.
Lately though, it hasn’t. Mediocre teams like the Nets and 76ers are getting too many good looks against the wine and gold. That is, usually, until the fourth quarter when the Cavs see they are in a game and clamp down and play the solid defense they have been known for.
Mo Williams seems to have taken a step back defensively, and obviously the team misses Delonte West’s ability on the defensive end. Jamario Moon usually does a good job on that end of the floor, but Brown seems reluctant to give him more minutes.
Whatever the solution, Brown has to shore up the perimeter defense.
Offensively, it seems like the team misses former assistant coach John Kuester, now the headman with the Pistons. There are many times that the offense bogs back down into having LeBron dribbling on the perimeter, with everyone else on the team standing still and watching.
By the way, it’s not a very effective attack.
When the Cavs move the ball around, it is a thing of beauty watching the defense scramble to find the open man. And the interior passing is beautiful with J.J. Hickson and Anderson Varajao getting lay up and dunks off of penetration.
When James starts pounding the ball on top, the coaching staff has to try something different. The offense becomes stagnant and the opponents have an easier time defending.
The Cavs have a tough road trip coming up and need to start playing better basketball. They responded to the challenge once before winning against Orlando and Miami last month.
However, it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if the wine and gold took a page out of the Spurs’ book and played their best in April, May, and June.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 