The Cleveland Cavaliers don’t have to be great defensively with their offensive firepower, they just need to get timely stops to go on quick spurts in the playoffs.
It’s early April, so naturally it’s time for the basketball landscape to be holding LeBron James under their proverbial microscope. At least in the time he’s come back to the Cleveland Cavaliers that has been the case. A few years ago beat writers were ready to dethrone the King and give the Eastern Conference crown to the one-seed Atlanta Hawks, who were “well-coached” and played “team-first” basketball. We all know how that ended: they got swept with ease, as the Cavs had favorable matchups all over the floor.
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In last season’s Eastern Conference Finals, the “sky was falling” after the Toronto Raptors tied it up 2-2. Noted 6-God Drake even called out Kyrie Irving on Instagram, thanking him for “giving the home team two games.” Bold strategy Cotton: it didn’t pay off. The Cavs ramped up their defense (thanks Drizzy), and Bron went into kill mode.
The wine-and-golders eviscerated the slender dinosaurs in Games 5 and 6, and then we all know the 3-1 narrative. This year, LeBron’s team has gotten the motherload of scrutiny. For that, I say proceed with caution before you wake a sleeping giant.
Cleveland Cavaliers
The saying goes something like this: history tends to repeat itself over and over. For NBA historian LeBron James, it’s no different. He knows he’s chasing The Ghost (Mr. Jordan), and it’s no secret that the greatest player of a generation (and arguably the best athlete in NBA history) knows that it’s all about rings. He has been to six straight NBA Finals, and has three championships. Coming into this postseason, however, many people are concerned that he’ll actually not get back?
Come on people. You’re smarter than that. The guy has studied the game feverishly; it shows in his attention to detail in big moments, and he might just have the best basketball IQ in the history of the NBA. I might be biased on that one though, but it’s not too much of a hot take. Hell, Skip Bayless might even give him that much (but probably not).
So to the here and now. The Cavaliers are currently tied for first in the East with the Boston Celtics, and the two play tonight. That could have huge ramifications in who gets the home court advantage in the Eastern Conference playoffs. To that I say, let’s not jump to conclusions.
People around the basketball world have been bashing the Cavs since the All-Star break, and at times I’ve been one of them. On the season, the Cavs are 22nd in the league in defensive rating, with a mark of 108.0 (according to nba.com). They are 22nd in defensive efficiency as well, per teamrankings.com. To compare, the Cavs were tenth and ninth in those categories last season.
That said, things are beginning to turn around, as they’ve shown signs in the last four games. In this stretch, the Cavs have been getting stops more consistently and it’s allowed them to get out in transition for easy buckets. Of course, the fourth quarter and overtimes in the Indiana game Sunday night was a low point, but they’ve looked much better overall.
The Cavs played solid against the Chicago Bulls last Thursday, holding them to 99 points on just 42.2% from the field. If it weren’t for the Bulls shooting 48% from three, the Cavs would’ve been in good shape to pull out the W. That was smart defense honestly, as Chicago is 26th in the league in three point percentage. Maybe it was just #TNTBulls.
The next game, the Cavs played much better overall against the Philadelphia 76ers. They forced 18 turnovers and held the Sixers to just 33.3% from three. If the Cavs can force just a few more turnovers per night, it will pay huge dividends in the postseason. LeBron and Irving are pretty much unstoppable when they’re out on the break after a block or a steal, and with the Cavs length on the perimeter, those will come as guys getting healthier.
Against the Orlando Magic, the Cavs forced a number of tough shots and held the visitors to just 38.4% shooting. They also held the Magic to just 24 points in the paint. If they can keep forcing opponents to take contested threes and not give up easy buckets in the paint consistently, no team in the East can beat them four times out of seven.
All the Cavs need to do to coast through the Eastern Conference is play four to five good minutes of defense each quarter. Consistent perimeter pressure and hustle leads to spurts of easy offense, such as on this sweet alley-oop from J.R. Smith to LBJ which was initiated by a Kevin Love deflection.
Their offense will can carry them against anybody, and LeBron James still owns the potential west champion Golden State Warriors. Remember all the Gifs after this play in the Finals after a Kyrie steal and J.R. no-look oop to the King? You’re lying if you don’t.
I’m not reading into this game against Boston at all, especially with Tristan Thompson out with a sprained thumb (per cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon). LeBron isn’t either, and he went full savage in a postgame interview after this Magic game. He’s the last person to ask about a regular season game, dude.
If the Cavs keep showing this kind of defensive effort to go along with their offensive ball movement, playoff Bron will lead this squad to yet another easy Eastern Conference triumph. The writers and anaylsts will be eating their words soon enough. Don’t worry about the Celtics getting home court advantage or not, as it means nothing to this Cavs veteran club. Their motivation will be there when it matters.
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LeBron always plays with so much more intensity on the defensive end of the floor in the playoffs, and this year will be no different. The rest of the squad will turn it up as well. At the end of the day, I’ll be waiting for the next set of LBJ championship Gifs, regardless if they’re babies crying or not.