Cleveland Cavaliers: Three reasons they lost to the Pacers
Reason #2 – Poor perimeter defense
The Pacers only shot 5-of-27 from three-point range for 18.5%, according to ESPN.com. However, defending the three-point line is not necessarily what is meant here.
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Indiana’s lead guards and wings, mainly Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb, were getting into the paint with ease which was collapsing the Cavaliers’ defense. Down the stretch, the Pacers were essentially running high ball-screens and handoffs with stud big man Domantas Sabonis being the screener or initiating the handoff.
The Cavaliers big man, defending Sabonis, sat back in the paint every time which allowed the Pacers ball-handler to get downhill and get to the rim, shoot a little 10-footer, or eventually force the Cavs defender to pick them up late, allowing Sabonis to have an easy look at the rim.
That is poor execution on the defensive end and makes it way too easy on the offense. When the big man who is defending the screener allows the ball-handler to get downhill, it not only puts him in a tough spot, but it puts the backside helper in a tough spot because they can’t get rotated quick enough to help when the guard is already in the paint.
The Cavs’ coaching staff will need to adjust this defensive strategy and allow the big man to blitz the ball-handler coming off of the screen or handoff and trust the backside help to be there on the roll man.
Brogdon and Lamb have been solid offensive playmakers for a while now, but even Doug McDermott was getting looks at the rim and in the paint when he was coming off of dribble handoffs or ball screens. That simply can’t happen.