The Cleveland Cavaliers can’t defend their opponent’s starters

The Cleveland Cavaliers lost their fourth straight game Wednesday, and one reoccurring issue is their inability to defend their opponent’s starters.

When a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers drops four straight games and five of their last six, it is immensely important to figure out the issue and to craft an array of solutions. One of their key issues is their inability to guard the other team’s starting five.

In the Cavaliers last three games, they have lost by a combined 58 points. Defensively, many rotational issues and fixable errors occurred, but at the same time, the Cavaliers looked like their opponent just blew right by them. The Cavaliers are one of the oldest teams in the NBA and have struggled immensely to keep up with the younger starting units they’ve faced.

Of the 361 points that they gave up over the past three games, only 40 of them have come from non-starters. The Pelicans put four starters at or above 24 points. Against the Knicks, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. both went for 30+, and most recently, the Pacers entire starting unit hit double-digits with Darren Collison finishing 9-for-10 from the field.

The problem is obvious, but the solution might be also.

One constant through all three of those games is where Jae Crowder has started the game. After starting the team’s first five games, Lue, in an attempt to add more rebounding into the starting unit, took out Jae Crowder and inserted in Tristan Thompson, who started the majority of the Cavs’ games over the past three seasons. While Crowder still notched at least 19 minutes in each game, the Cavaliers defense was just not the same. Thompson defended Porzingis the majority of their game against the Knicks, and the Latvian star erupted for 32 points while Thompson did not even record a single rebound.

Tristan Thompson, who exited the Cavaliers last game against the Pacers on crunches, might not be the problem. The problem is not the personnel but the rotation. In the eight games the Cavaliers have played this season, they have had a different starting lineup in five of them. Tyronn Lue, who might be looking for an answer to their lackluster defense, might overthink the issue.

Play a consistent starting lineup and let the kinks naturally work their way out. This team has the experience and ability to be one of the best in the NBA, but they must first get used to playing with each other. More than half this team was added in the offseason, and it’s not too insane to think they just need more time together.

Must Read: Should Tyronn Lue be on the hot seat?

Along with this, the team has struggled to defend the three-point line and rebound at a high rate. Overall, this team has several areas to improve on, but keep in mind, the season is a long road.