The Cleveland Cavaliers just starred in one of the most humiliating collapses in sports history. They blew a 22-point lead with a little over 7 minutes left to go in a game that would've given them homecourt advantage on the road.
Kenny Atkinson allowed Jalen Brunson to get to work against a tired James Harden time and time again, claiming he wanted to save his timeouts for late-game situations. He didn't make a single defensive adjustment while his worst defender was helpless and exposed over and over.
That's why Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green would want to see Dennis Schroder on the court in those minutes. In the latest edition of his podcast, he ripped Cavs players for switching and shying away from the challenge of guarding Brunson, stating that only Schroder was up to the task.
Draymond Green thinks the Cavs should let Dennis Schroder play some defense
“Dennis Schröder wanted to take on that challenge, Dennis Schröder was taking on that challenge. When Dennis Schröder left the game things got a little bleak. Because you got guys in there that don’t really want that challenge, they don’t want to fight through the screen and say that’s my matchup I want to stop this guy," said Green.
Granted, Schroder has been borderline unplayable for months now. He's given the Cavs absolutely nothing on offense, and while he does try hard on defense, he's not a lockdown backdoor defender by any means.
That said, Schroder is the type of player who rises to the occasion. He's proven it in the playoffs before, and he's shown it every single time he's had to suit up to play for the German national team. He just has that 'It' factor and winning mentality.
The Cavs don't have many strong perimeter defenders. Jaylon Tyson will get there, and Max Strus has done a great job so far. Other than that, whoever tries to get in front of Jalen Brunson will be pretty much left on an island.
Brunson might not have the deepest bag or the smoothest handles, but he's tough as nails. He'll drive and hit and push and shove to create separation, and he'll endure that wear and tear like a running back running between the tackles. Dealing with that for nearly 40 minutes a night is taxing.
As such, Green might be onto something here. The Cavs may want to give Schroder a longer leash on defense, even if having him on the court essentially gives them a 4-on-5 on offense. He can run the point to make up for his shooting woes, though.
Desperate times take desperate measures, and the Cavs should be absolutely desperate after that all-time collapse on Tuesday night. It's crazy enough to work, especially knowing that Harden won't become a better defender overnight.
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