Cleveland Cavaliers: What we learned in the home loss to Golden State

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CLEVELAND, OH – JANUARY 15: Andre Iguodala #9 of the Golden State Warriors handles the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 15, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The Cavs’ bad defense is more than effort.

It’s no secret that the Cavaliers really don’t care about the regular season. Their consistently low effort level shows that. It’s impossible to have a good defense when you don’t try, but there’s much more to defense than just trying hard.

Cleveland tried hard on Monday night, but their defense was still bad. They are still a terrible defensively in transition as they gave up 20 fast-break points against Golden State. Unfortunately, their transition defense won’t change unless their personnel changes.

Similarly, their half-court defense leaves much to be desired as they continue to get lost in the pick-and-roll. Besides that, they don’t have the athleticism on the perimeter necessary to make up for lapses in defensive coverage.

Simply put, their defense is bad and what’s holding them back against Golden State.

People often talk about not being able to keep up with Golden State’s scoring because they have Durant, Curry, and Thompson, but the Cavs can keep up with them scoring wise. Cleveland has one of the best offenses in the league that will only get better with the integration of Thomas.

However, the defense is what’s holding them back. Adding another perimeter/wing defender is the only way they can try to close the gap.