Cavs vs. Warriors -- 2017 NBA Finals

[dark2332]

I get that, but we were a good defensive team last year. Our numbers all across the board have fallen. In the regular season. We are not a very good defensive team right now. We were never dominant in the regular season, but the team defended when it mattered. They can't do that this year.




We are worse defensively. And that's our bread and butter. It has been when it has came to our post-season success. Our defense is worse than ever in the LeBron era. That's not a good trend.



We still this every year, and end up being disappointed. I'd love for a Bogut to get bought out, but I don't think it's happening.



It's not about being the favorite for us. It's not even really about GS right now. We are developing some absolutely awful defensive tendencies. And if want to beat anyone coming out of the West. Not just GS, but SA, we got to figure it out.

Right now, I don't think we'd beat either team in a series if the season ended today. But luckily, the season doesn't end today. Do I think we've peaked? No, I don't, I get that. But our defense is a legit weakness.

I know our defense has not been good. However, we essentially have all the same players--therefore, I would like to assume it's more a focus/effort problem and this will be remedied come the playoffs. Especially when it comes to the playoff rotation, we now have a healthy Shumpert (who, I acknowledge has been poor defensively this year thus far) and added Liggins, who is very good defensively.

Then again, perhaps it's a Longabardi problem. After all, he was hired last year and our defense was terrible. In fact, so bad that Lue had to step in and simplify things for the late season/playoff run. It was too "complex" to learn on the fly, right?

Perhaps, this man is the problem as he's had his opportunity to install his defense this season--and we've been shit on that end.


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[godfather]

So actually, no, I don't think we are a better team than last year. One, we've lost important depth.

Two, we are not defending as well as we did last season.

Offensively we are better. But we didn't win an NBA championship on our offense. We are NBA championships because of our defense.

If this trend continues, we have no chance of winning a title. Teams outside of the top-15 defensively don't win titles in the NBA. Doesn't matter how good your offense is. In a 7-game series, your offense will eventually get stale.

The Cavs better figure it out, because it's really frightening how bad they are on that end. Unacceptable for a team like us.

 

[Rich]

I think you literally wrote this exact post last year.

I can't wait to hear your excuses for when you're scared of team X next season.

Who is afraid? Always so combative here on anonymous message board. Does it get old?

 

[godfather]

I know our defense has not been good. However, we essentially have all the same players--therefore, I would like to assume it's more a focus/effort problem and this will be remedied come the playoffs. Especially when it comes to the playoff rotation, we now have a healthy Shumpert (who, I acknowledge has been poor defensively this year thus far) and added Liggins, who is very good defensively.

Then again, perhaps it's a Longabardi problem. After all, he was hired last year and our defense was terrible. In fact, so bad that Lue had to step in and simplify things for the late season/playoff run. It was too "complex" to learn on the fly, right?

Perhaps, this man is the problem as he's had his opportunity to install his defense this season--and we've been shit on that end.


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We lost depth in Moz and Delly, two good defenders.

Frye is not good defensively at all. He's awful. JR going down might have hurt things a bit.

LeBron's defense has taken a big hit this year. He's still good, but he's not getting any younger and he can't defend at the level he did previous years.

Maybe he takes it up another notch come playoff time. I'm sure he still has another gear in him.

Tristan has been steady, but he's not an elite defensive center either.

The lack of depth has put more pressure on other guys to step up and they haven't. Our pick-and-roll defense is pretty disgraceful.

And Kevin Love and especially Kyrie are just not very good defenders, and never will be. They are more exposed without better support from the others.

 

[TitleTown]

Who is afraid? Always so combative here on anonymous message board. Does it get old?

I just disagree. Sorry if that feels combative to you.

But your message is exactly the same as last year.

So is mine.

And no, I don't get tired of posting here. I love it.

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

Who is afraid? Always so combative here on anonymous message board. Does it get old?

And then he has the temerity to call everybody else an "internet tough guy". Gotta love it.

 

[dark2332]

We lost depth in Moz and Delly, two good defenders.

Frye is not good defensively at all. He's awful. JR going down might have hurt things a bit.

LeBron's defense has taken a big hit this year. He's still good, but he's not getting any younger and he can't defend at the level he did previous years.

Maybe he takes it up another notch come playoff time. I'm sure he still has another gear in him.

Tristan has been steady, but he's not an elite defensive center either.

The lack of depth has put more pressure on other guys to step up and they haven't. Our pick-and-roll defense is pretty disgraceful.

And Kevin Love and especially Kyrie are just not very good defenders, and never will be. They are more exposed without better support from the others.

Mozgov was rather poor defensively last year, part of why his role on the team fell off a cliff.

Delly was a pretty good defender, but Liggins is actually a slight improvement over him on that end due to versatility. The main thing missing from Delly is his ability to absorb meaningless regular season minutes and run the offense--not so much the defense.

JR being out certainly doesn't help.

When you point to it, it screams an effort problem. This is something I really expect to improve as we approach the playoffs.

We do need another big, but right now, no matter what we do the rest of the regular season, I expect a different team in the playoffs. Similar to how LeBron has another gear, as you stated, the whole team takes its cues from the leader.


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[godfather]

There is one silver lining. Kyrie is no longer in the bottom of the worst defensive point guards in the league. He's graduated from God awful, to just awful.

 

[CHIMOCHIS]

There is one silver lining. Kyrie is no longer in the bottom of the worst defensive point guards in the league. He's graduated from God awful, to just awful.

True
And we got rid of the worst defensive PG of all time

 

[BigJ]

Have people forgotten we where 18th on defense in 2015 and went to a top 3 Defense in the Playoffs?
Last year we jumped from 11th to 1st or 2nd.

No reason not to expect us playing top 5 Defense again when it matters..

 

[TyGuy]

There is one silver lining. Kyrie is no longer in the bottom of the worst defensive point guards in the league. He's graduated from God awful, to just awful.

I think we have other more pressing issues than Irving. He could certainly help the situation by being merely average on defense and being a bit less streaky on offense, but our bench at the moment is a disaster. We've needed a backup big wing that can defend for an eternity, backup big is now an issue with Frye struggling. If we had more defensive guys and another playmaker I have a feeling that Frye would be contributing, but we don't, and it's a big problem.

 

[Rich]

I just disagree. Sorry if that feels combative to you.

But your message is exactly the same as last year.

So is mine.

And no, I don't get tired of posting here. I love it.

Avoided everything I said. I have a solution.

 

[godfather]

I think we have other more pressing issues than Irving. He could certainly help the situation by being merely average on defense and being a bit less streaky on offense, but our bench at the moment is a disaster. We've needed a backup big wing that can defend for an eternity, backup big is now an issue with Frye struggling. If we had more defensive guys and another playmaker I have a feeling that Frye would be contributing, but we don't, and it's a big problem.

I agree, and for the record I wasn't even suggesting Kyrie is the problem defensively and that's why we are so bad on that end. He's still bad, but he's actually improved some.

Nearly everyone else has regressed. I think Frye to me has been too much of a liability. I don't think the Cavs can play him much in the post season.

A big man and another defensive wing is needed.

 

[TitleTown]

Avoided everything I said. I have a solution.

I literally answered everything you said lol

What did I avoid?

 

[TyGuy]

I'm not sure what I hate most about the warriors. Really high up there is the fact that we had shine for like two weeks before kd made it all about the warriors again.