Why the Cleveland Cavaliers can win the NBA Finals this season

3 of 6

Cleveland Cavaliers big Jarrett Allen greets teammates before a game. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

Defense wins championships

The Cavs have bought into the defensive mindset of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. They completely lockdown their opponents and they do it on a consistent basis.

Since 2002, every NBA championship team has had a top 10 defensive rating for that season. This season, the Cavs rank third in defensive rating. They also ranked third in defensive efficiency and opponent true shooting percentage, while coming in second in opponents points per game.

But, where they truly dominate on the defensive side of the ball is at the rim. One could argue that the Cavs are the toughest team to score on in the paint.

The Cavs currently hold teams to the lowest field goal percentage inside five feet, per NBA.com’s tracking data. They also hold their opponents to the fourth-lowest field goal percentage of two-pointers and seventh-lowest field goal percentage overall.

Scoring on the Cleveland Cavaliers is a tall task led by some tall players, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, otherwise known as “Tower City.”

Jarrett Allen has had an All-Star caliber season of his own and is expected to be a part of his first All-Star game in February. His ability to catch lobs at the highest of heights and snag rebounds at an outstanding rate are some of his best attributes, but his best ability is on the defensive end.

Allen currently ranks fifth NBA in defensive rating and defensive win shares. He also ranks 13th in blocks per game. He is truly a force when it comes to protecting the paint.

After signing a big extension in the offseason, many thought it was an overpay. He continues to prove that he deserves everything he gets and more. He has been an essential anchor to the Cavs stifling defense and should be recognized as such when the All-Defensive Teams are selected at the end of the year.

His counterpart, a 20-year-old rookie, has perhaps been even better on defense.

Evan Mobley ranks seventh in the NBA in blocks per game while standing at eighth in defensive win shares and 11th in defensive rating. The USC product is expected to bring home the Rookie of the Year award, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s awarded a spot on one of the All-Defensive Teams as well, despite being so young.

Pairing these two juggernauts with a defensive-minded player like Isaac Okoro and scrappy players like Darius Garland and Cedi Osman is a recipe for disaster for opposing offenses. When the postseason comes around, the defensive mindset of the head coach, the buy-in of the team and the youthful athleticism of the players should have the Cavs reaping the benefits.