The Cavaliers face a difficult March schedule comprised of several conference frontrunners, but they refuse to let it be their downfall.
The Cavaliers completely changed the way other team’s considered them this year. However, as of recently, their success is in danger of freefalling. Of course, injuries played a big part in their latest struggles. Even so, Darius Garland returned on Wednesday, only for the Hornets to pound the Cavs at home. Consequently, Cleveland’s dropped five of their last six games, but the worst is yet to come. Over the next month, the Cavaliers play the 76ers three times, the Raptors twice, the Bulls twice, the Heat, Hawks, Clippers, Nuggets, and more.
Head coach JB Bickerstaff dismissed their demanding schedule as something they could not overcome. Instead, Bickerstaff is focused on getting his team back to playing their unique, high-quality style of basketball.
“I don’t have a fear if we’re playing our best basketball,” coach Bickerstaff said. “If we’re playing to the level we’re capable of, there’s no fear that we’ll get our fair share of wins.”
An oversimplified yet ample summary of Cavaliers basketball primarily succeeds from their defense. When the defense operates well, the offense follows. However, the offense is entirely different without Garland and other guard scorers out there. So, when injuries arrive alongside defensive lapses, Cleveland cannot contend with the best of the best. And this is precisely what’s been going on recently.
Overview of the Cavaliers’ Last 6 Games
Besides the Pistons, no team Cleveland’s faced in their past six are true gimme games. Nevertheless, the Cavs should handle their business against most of them. Entering the all-star break, the Cavaliers lost to the 76ers and Hawks. In both, Cleveland played without Lauri Markkanen. His absence is noteworthy but still not enough of an excuse.
Beating the 76ers in Philadelphia, when Joel Embiid posts a 40-point triple-double, is nearly impossible. However, the defense performed admirably by only surrendering 103 points. Outside of Embiid, the Cavs played well but surely would prefer scoring more than 93 points. Against Atlanta, the offense improved, but it actually came back to hurt them.
The Hawks possess one of the worst defenses yet best offenses in the NBA, so to defeat them, the focus should never be on outscoring them. Instead, the goal is to limit their lethal scorers. Sure, seeing three Cavaliers combine for 73 is great, but allowing 66 points to just Trae Young and Danilo Gallinari is undoubtedly not.
After the break, the defense seemed back to normal as they only allowed 96 points on average in their first two games back. However, without Garland, the offense failed to keep up, despite Lauri’s strong return. The primary concern should be the last two games. Cleveland played well enough to beat the Timberwolves but could not. Moreover, if not for the massive bench boost by Kevin Love and Cedi Osman, the ‘Wolves would’ve stomped the Cavaliers.
On Wednesday, though, Garland’s return provided offensive help, but not enough. The Hornets traveled into Cleveland and dismantled their defense, and won by 21 points. Outside of Garland’s 33 points, the offense efficiency lacked tremendously, and the defense was no better. If Cleveland wants to remain atop the East, they’ll need to address some standout issues.
1. Defense!!!
All season long, the Cavs’ defense carried. So much so, Cleveland’s ranked in the top-four for defensive rating throughout. However, in their last six, their defensive ranking sits at 27th in the NBA. Such a sudden reversal cannot be acquainted to one individual but the entire team. Sure, not having Garland or Markkanen hurts, but mainly on the offensive end. So, why their defense got worse is relatively confusing.
The first explanation is Cleveland faced three of the top ten highest-scoring teams over that span. In that same sense, though, those three teams also rank in the bottom 11 for points given up. Therefore, the scales should equal out, and the better team, the Cavaliers, should win. However, it’s not that easy. A fundamental problem with the Cavs’ defense right now, surprisingly enough, is their offense.
This sounds dumb, but it is totally true. No matter how good one team is defensively, they simply cannot play defense nonstop and hope to win throwback low-scoring games, especially in the modern NBA. Jarrett Allen will do everything in his power above the rim, but Trae Young, Terry Rozier, D’Angelo Russell, and other guars are not his problem. Sure, Allen would honestly take the blame for Embiid’s crazy night, but the other defensive lapses cannot be his fault. Nor can the Cavs cry to the fact that Garland’s sidelined because he’s not a major defensive threat. Instead, they must turn to someone else to stop the NBA’s dangerous backcourt ballers.
2. The Cavaliers Need to Help Garland
Garland may not be the greatest defender ever, but he’s not a hole either. Currently, he is averaging 1.2 steals per game. However, if Cleveland holds any hopes for the future, someone other than him needs to stop some guards. So much focus is placed on the big-men on the Cavaliers, which is fair, but such a significant portion of their wins and losses comes from their guards. Players like Isaac Okoro, Cedi Osman, Rajon Rondo, and, most recently, Brandon Goodwin provide essential help, but is it enough?
All four of those guys do not necessarily stand out, but their play might make or break this Cavs season. Not only on the defensive end but on offense too. Goodwin has been hooping recently, but his impact is likely fading with Garland’s return. Rondo is getting up there, so his defensive help may be diminished. Osman is a night-to-night player who gives great effort but doesn’t always sink the shots. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, Okoro needs to step up.
Coming out of college, Okoro’s strengths existed athletically, physically, and defensively. So far, all three are true, but not to the extent one might have anticipated. Specifically, his defensive effort has not led to tons of takeaways. If he can continue working on both ends and develop a willingness to take on the other team’s best, the pressure on Garland shall drop immensely. However, one individual, not already mentioned, might matter more than anyone else.
3. Caris LeVert Needs to Be Great
At first, LeVert on the Cavs seemed very mediocre. His offense and defense are nothing flashy, but just what Cleveland needs. Sure, getting a knockdown shooter would be tremendously beneficial, but the guard defense might matter the most. If LeVert can return from injury with the same energy on both ends that he portrayed in Brooklyn, Cleveland can overcome any obstacle sent their way. However, if his return is anything like his brief stint thus far, the Cavaliers might continue falling in the standings.
For a new player, placing such pressure on LeVert seems unfair. However, the potential presence he brings Cleveland will fill all the holes mentioned in the previous paragraphs. Although the three-point efficiency may still slack, the general offense will improve. LeVert won’t be a standalone difference-maker on defense, but his wingspan and active hands are certainly more intimidating than his peers.
Cleveland’s current issues range all over the place. Nonetheless, this team can undoubtedly come together and fix them. With greater defensive effort, the offensive pressure will reduce. The offense will be boosted with Garland, Markkannen, and LeVert returning soon. But whether or not they can match their challenging schedule ahead is yet to be determined.
