Length
To be frank, this portion is mostly about Thomas who, at 5-foot-9 and coming off of a seven-month absence as he rehabbed a torn labrum in his hip, was a defensive liability. At one point in his Cavs tenure, Thomas even managed to have the worst defensive rating any player has had in the last 25 years.
Now, Thomas’ replacement is a 6-foot-3 point guard with an elite 6-foot-9 wingspan. Hill, who has been a reputable and gritty defender since his early days with the San Antonio Spurs, has continued to live up to his defensive reputation in Cleveland.
today George Hill:
— Jordan Zirm (@JordanZirm) February 11, 2018
-stayed in front of a whirling Kyrie and forced a turnover
-stayed in front of a driving Jason Tatum for a charge call
-took on Marcus Morris in the post and forced a bad fadeaway jumper
6-foot-5 backup point guard Jordan Clarkson, 6-foot-8 swingman Rodney Hood and 6-foot-9 forward-center Larry Nance used their length to disrupt the pick-and-roll and passing lanes all game. They put on a defensive clinic in their own right, combining for four of the Cavs’ seven steals and being a large part of the reason the Boston Celtics only shot 40.4 percent from the field (4.2 percent less than their season average) and 26.3 percent from three-point range (13.5 percent less than their season average).