Only one team that ranked outside the top 12 in points allowed per possession during the regular season won an NBA title. The 2000-01 Lakers, who were 21st in defensive rating, are the lone outlier.
The Cavaliers rank 22nd in defensive rating this season and have been even worse lately.
But Cleveland coach Tyronn Lue says he has a plan. He just won’t reveal it yet.
Lue, via Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com:“We’ve got to hold back. We can’t show our hand early because ... these are some good teams and we don’t want them to be able to come into a series and be able to adjust to what we do. We just have to be able to play our normal defense until we get there and then we will see what happens.”
Also:
“I think the rebounding hurt us. Rebounding. But it will be different once some other things happen. ... Their two-guards, their threes, they still crashed the boards. But we have something to fix that. Just not right now.”
What precisely those plans are, Lue wouldn’t tell us. And here’s the other part -- he’s not exactly sure they’ll work.
“I’m not confident, but we’ve got to” get the defense fixed, Lue said. “We have to.”
The Cavs ranked just 10th in defensive rating last season, among the worst marks for an eventual champion. But they cranked up their defense in the playoffs, especially late. Cleveland held the Raptors 4.8 points per 100 possessions below their regular-season scoring rate and the Warriors 7.8 below theirs.
Lue also unleashed a 3-point-heavy attack in the playoffs last year after sitting on the strategy through the regular season.
So, I have some faith Lue will implement a better defensive gameplan when it counts. It also helps to have LeBron James, who can still play elite defense when not in the slog of a long regular season.
But the Cavaliers’ defensive deficiencies right now are glaring. This roster appears to lack defensive potential, and their many miscues keep them well below whatever that potential is.
The challenge in elevating this defense to championship-caliber will be immense, maybe even unprecedented.