As the Cleveland Cavaliers lose more games to inferior foes like they did a week ago against Minnesota, hoop fans start to talk about the future of coach Byron Scott.

Most of the problem when the Cavs lose these games in their quality of defense.  Owner Dan Gilbert even commented last week that when the wine and gold return to prominence, it will be because of their work when their opponents have the ball.

But is Scott the guy to teach defense?

His past coaching record says he is.

In his first year as a head coach, the 2000-01 season with the Nets, his squad finished 22nd in points allowed and 24th in field goal percentage against.

However, the following season (2001-02), in which the Nets made the NBA Finals, those marks improved to 5th in points allowed and 6th in defensive field goal percentage.

The next season (2002-03), another Finals appearance, had New Jersey 2nd in the NBA in points allowed and tied for 2nd in field goal percentage against.

Scott didn’t make it through the following season, but resurfaced as coach of the New Orleans Hornets in 2004-05, and his team finished 10th in the NBA in points allowed and 17th in defensive field goal percentage.

The other four years in New Orleans had Scott’s crew improving from 11th in points given up in 2005-06 to 10th, 5th, and 5th in subsequent seasons.  The field goal percentage allowed went from 21st in ’05-’06 to tied for 12th, 16th, and 7th.

The point is if you want to point the finger at Scott for the Cavs’ horrible defensive rating, look somewhere else.  He has demonstrated that he can put together a good defensive scheme, ranking in the top half of the league every year but his first as a head coach in points allowed, and his teams have been better than average in shooting percentage by opponents five times.

That is until he became the head coach in Cleveland.

Granted the franchise and the roster were a mess his first year at the helm, so we will excuse both the players and the coaching staff.  However, we don’t think Scott has forgotten all he learned on the defensive end since he took over in Cleveland, so something is wrong.

It’s time for the head coach to take the gloves off and start demanding better defense by his troops, even if that guy in all-star Kyrie Irving.  Irving is too talented a player not to be a good defender, and as the leader and best player, he would set the tone for the rest of the guys in wine and gold by playing better when the other team has the ball.

Too often, the Cavs are lackadaisical against lesser teams because they don’t put forth a good effort on “D”, and usually it starts with Irving.

He’s not the only one, though.  A lack of effort on defense should start earning players a seat on the bench,  and that goes for everyone.

The Cavs need to start winning now.  The rest of this season should be about setting a tone for the 2013-14 season, when the wine and gold must start contending for a playoff spot.

Byron Scott is not the reason the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t a good defensive team.  His track record proves otherwise.  It’s time for the players to start buying in to stopping the opponent, and to stop trying to outscore everyone.

When that happens, we will see if this team is putting together enough talent to become a playoff squad.

JK