Two games before the NBA All Star weekend, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat Indiana to improve their record to 35-21. They lost the next two games leading up to the break, both on the road to Philadelphia and Atlanta.
Since that victory over the Pacers, the wine and gold have gone 6-10.
Injuries have certainly been a problem. Lauri Markkanen and Darius Garland both missed some time, and most recently, Jarrett Allen has missed the last eight games with a broken finger.
After the first two games of the season, when the Cavs allowed 132 and 123 points, the new philosophy of defense took hold, and Cleveland became one of the better defensive teams in the NBA, with a front line featuring three players 6’11” or taller.
Prior to that game against the Pacers, the team’s high water mark of the year record wise, the Cavs had held opponents under 100 points 23 times. Since the all star game, in 14 games, Cleveland has only does this twice, and they haven’t done it since Allen went out against Toronto on March 6th.
Granted, Allen is a very good rim protector and blocks 1.3 shots per game in addition to grabbing almost 11 rebounds per night. But really, that’s not where the defensive issues have been.
While Cleveland is scoring almost four points per game more than they were before the break, they are also giving up almost 11 points more. That’s frightening.
Before the all star break, the Cavs allowed 34% shooting from behind the three point line. Since, that percentage is up to 38.6. They really have not defended the long range shooting well after resuming play.
Now, you could say luck is a factor, but in watching the games, it is disturbing to see the wide open looks opposing shooters have beyond the arc. In Monday’s terrible loss to the Lakers (terrible because the Lakers are not a good team), veteran D.J. Augustin came into the game and it appeared Cleveland didn’t notice because he had several wide open shots immediately after checking in.
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff established, after those first two games, a defensive, gritty mindset. His players bought in to that. But lately, we see more attempts to play up tempo, and right now, the Cavs only have a few players who can thrive in that style.
With the playoffs on the horizon, the Cavaliers need to get back to the defensive, slow it down mindset they had previously.
We aren’t saying not to push the ball up the floor when the opportunity presents itself, you have to take advantage of easy offense.
But there are too many possessions lately in the half court game, where there is just one or two guys touching the basketball. They need to make their opponents play harder on the defensive end.
And tonight’s game at Toronto would be a good time to start. A win would essentially put them three games up on the Raptors for the sixth spot, and it would also put the wine and gold in a decent spot to move up to the fifth seed in the East.
The Cavs need to get back to the style that put them in this spot to begin with. With just 10 games remaining, it’s not too late.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 