Cleveland Cavaliers: Evaluating their team halfway through the season

By Hasan | Jan 13, 2018

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JANUARY 8: Cleveland Cavaliers during the national anthem before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 8, 2018 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – DECEMBER 30: Donovan Mitchell /

The Defense

The major struggle for the Cavs still remains on defense. The Cavs allowed 104.1 points per game last season by this point, ranking 12^th in the league.

Whilst not exactly stellar, the Cavs have dropped to new lows this season allowing 108.8 points per game, which puts them at 25^th in the league with their defensive rating also being the second-worst in the league.

The Cavs are also currently allowing the most assists per game in the NBA.

On many occasions, the Cavs have been late in rotating to the open man and have seemed lethargic and lackluster. Some stretches of defensive pressure by the Cavs show that they can be solid in fits and bursts.

Having the oldest team in the league, it’ll be interesting to see if they can maintain the energy needed in the playoffs. With the Cavs having to change their lineup so often and not yet being completely familiar with each other possibly forgiving some of these lapses, the necessity to improve on defense is still a major point.

The Cavs defensive continues to struggle and is somehow getting worse. That’s the scary part.