Fire Mike Longabardi !!!

[TyGuy]

Switching defensive concepts are absolutely the future of the NBA. Altman wisely spearheaded bringing in coaches who embrace this trend. It's also clear he prioritizes acquiring players who fit the concept. It's no coincidence that the first teams to embrace switching concepts were also amongst the teams with the best regular season records: GS, Houston, Boston, eventually the Cavs after the mid-season trades. Switching isolates the movement of the defense to two players rather than all five players rotating. Once many of Popovich's play concepts became mainstream and the corner three became a major weapon, defenses had to adapt. Switching is that adaptation, even if it is imperfect.

I agree with stitching being the future of the nba, but if Altman was truly all in on switching then why did we draft 6'2" Sexton and not 6'6" SGA?

 

[Cavatt]

Switching defensive concepts are absolutely the future of the NBA. Altman wisely spearheaded bringing in coaches who embrace this trend. It's also clear he prioritizes acquiring players who fit the concept. It's no coincidence that the first teams to embrace switching concepts were also amongst the teams with the best regular season records: GS, Houston, Boston, eventually the Cavs after the mid-season trades. Switching isolates the movement of the defense to two players rather than all five players rotating. Once many of Popovich's play concepts became mainstream and the corner three became a major weapon, defenses had to adapt. Switching is that adaptation, even if it is imperfect.

One of those teams is not like the others because the Cavs have a horrible defense and the others are very good.

 

[greenlaker]

Switching defensive concepts are absolutely the future of the NBA. Altman wisely spearheaded bringing in coaches who embrace this trend. It's also clear he prioritizes acquiring players who fit the concept. It's no coincidence that the first teams to embrace switching concepts were also amongst the teams with the best regular season records: GS, Houston, Boston, eventually the Cavs after the mid-season trades. Switching isolates the movement of the defense to two players rather than all five players rotating. Once many of Popovich's play concepts became mainstream and the corner three became a major weapon, defenses had to adapt. Switching is that adaptation, even if it is imperfect.

So the conclusion is:

Switching by itself is not a solution. If you switch regardless of who you have, you might end up in a disaster.

OR

Cavs coaching staff cannot coach their players to switch properly.

OR

Cavs should bring in more players who fit in this defensive schemes

BUT NOT

We should continue to do it, no matter what happens.

 

[Randolphkeys]

So the conclusion is:

Switching by itself is not a solution. If you switch regardless of who you have, you might end up in a disaster.

OR

Cavs coaching staff cannot coach their players to switch properly.

OR

Cavs should bring in more players who fit in this defensive schemes

BUT NOT

We should continue to do it, no matter what happens.

A. is partially correct. If the Cavaliers plan on using switching as a magic bullet, they are dead in the water. Any good players now recognize how to exploit switching to get the highest percentage shot: isolate your best one on one player on the worst one on one defender and play the percentages on a clear out. The best way to utilize switching is to mix switching into man concepts to keep the offense guessing.

B. Is obvious. What do you guys really think Altman has this roster rebuilt and ready to contend? This is step one of the rebuild this season, and we just completed game #3. To say the process of reshaping the Cavs has only just begun is like saying the Atlantic Ocean carries a few life forms in it.

Lastly your C. is a monumental leap. Prepare yourself... the start of the post LeBron Era has been a rocky first week. Most people expected a rocky start. It could be a rocky two years. It doesn't mean you throw away teaching young players defensive principles they will need when the Cavs are closer to the midpoint of the rebuild. The record this year doesn't matter that much. It's a learning year.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Switching defensive concepts are absolutely the future of the NBA. Altman wisely spearheaded bringing in coaches who embrace this trend. It's also clear he prioritizes acquiring players who fit the concept. It's no coincidence that the first teams to embrace switching concepts were also amongst the teams with the best regular season records: GS, Houston, Boston, eventually the Cavs after the mid-season trades. Switching isolates the movement of the defense to two players rather than all five players rotating. Once many of Popovich's play concepts became mainstream and the corner three became a major weapon, defenses had to adapt. Switching is that adaptation, even if it is imperfect.

In theory, that's correct. The problem is that to do it correctly requires certain personnel in terms of length/quickness, and there just aren't enough of those kind of players in the league for every team to play that way. You can point to GS, Houston, Boston, and the Cavs as being successful teams that switched, but that's a bit of a chicken/egg situation. Were they good because they switched, or were they good because they had sufficiently talented players to play that kind of switching defense? And are those players who can switch also good enough on the offensive end to give you a strong enough offense?

It's tough to find guys like that.

So unless you're one of those teams fortunate enough to have enough guys capable of switching who also are as good as they need to be offensively and otherwise...what do you do? Do you keep trying to switch a lot because "that's what good teams do", or do you get more creative and use the players you do have to put together the best defense possible, even if there isn't as much switching as is ideal?

At some point, if you don't have the players to fit the best "scheme", then it's no longer the best scheme for your team.

 

[Randolphkeys]

In theory, that's correct. The problem is that to do it correctly requires certain personnel in terms of length/quickness, and there just aren't enough of those kind of players in the league for every team to play that way. You can point to GS, Houston, Boston, and the Cavs as being successful teams that switched, but that's a bit of a chicken/egg situation. Were they good because they switched, or were they good because they had sufficiently talented players to play that kind of switching defense? And are those players who can switch also good enough on the offensive end to give you a strong offensive?

It's tough to find guys like that.

So unless you're one of those teams fortunate enough guys capable of switching who also are as good as they need to be offensively and otherwise...what do you do? Do you keep trying to switch a lot because "that's what good teams do", or do you get more creative and use the players you do have to put together the best defense possible, even if there isn't as much switching as is ideal?

At some point, if you don't have the players to fit the best "scheme", then it's no longer the best scheme for your team.

Who makes the decision that this is the wrong scheme for the roster? It certainly isn't the front office, who are planning on using the system goin forward. It isn't the coaches. We are back to the same elephant in the room... Did the Cavs lose a whopping three games because of a coaching issue or is there a sizable talent and experience gap between the opponents on the floor and the Cavaliers on the floor?

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Who makes the decision that this is the wrong scheme for the roster? It certainly isn't the front office, who are planning on using the system goin forward. It isn't the coaches.

Well...the opposing teams will let you know if it is the wrong scheme.

And at that point, it is the responsibility of the coaches to make adjustments as necessary to fit the talent then on the roster. You know...creativity? Thinking outside the narrow box they may have constructed for themselves regarding what they "want" to do?

Just because switching may be the preferred or ideal defense doesn't mean it is a good defense for this Cavs team to be playing right now. Good coaching will find the best defense for this group of guys regardless of what kind of defense they may believe is ideal in the long term.

Did the Cavs lose a whopping three games because of a coaching issue or is there a sizable talent and experience gap between the opponents on the floor and the Cavaliers on the floor?

Very likely it is both. The problem is that once they made the decision to keep Ty Lue, there's really not much that can be done about either for the rest of the season. But they aren't so lacking in talent that they should have been blown out as they were in the home opener.

 

[Cavatt]

Who makes the decision that this is the wrong scheme for the roster? It certainly isn't the front office, who are planning on using the system goin forward. It isn't the coaches. We are back to the same elephant in the room... Did the Cavs lose a whopping three games because of a coaching issue or is there a sizable talent and experience gap between the opponents on the floor and the Cavaliers on the floor?

I don't get where your coming from, Keys. When did you think this scheme worked in the past 3 years? You know we have ditched it repeatedly in the playoffs right?

 

[Rich]

Switching defensive concepts are absolutely the future of the NBA. Altman wisely spearheaded bringing in coaches who embrace this trend. It's also clear he prioritizes acquiring players who fit the concept. It's no coincidence that the first teams to embrace switching concepts were also amongst the teams with the best regular season records: GS, Houston, Boston, eventually the Cavs after the mid-season trades. Switching isolates the movement of the defense to two players rather than all five players rotating. Once many of Popovich's play concepts became mainstream and the corner three became a major weapon, defenses had to adapt. Switching is that adaptation, even if it is imperfect.

We don't have the roster for it.

 

[Randolphkeys]

I don't get where your coming from, Keys. When did you think this scheme worked in the past 3 years? You know we have ditched it repeatedly in the playoffs right?

Not 100% accurate. When the Cavs didn't have the right grouping when Longabardi first arrived they scrapped it. Frye and Love didn't have the foot speed. Sometimes they returned to it off and on. Then last season they used it through the EC but Golden State shredded it by isolating George Hill on JaVale. Again, I see switching as one tool to use on defense, not a magic bullet to build the whole defense around. The direction of the league is positionless basketball eventually, why not give young players that exposure because this team is a few years away either way.

We don't have the roster for it.

The Cavs don't have a rim protector so they don't have the roster for man defense either.

 

[Cavatt]

Not 100% accurate. When the Cavs didn't have the right grouping when Longabardi first arrived they scrapped it. Frye and Love didn't have the foot speed. Sometimes they returned to it off and on. Then last season they used it through the EC but Golden State shredded it by isolating George Hill on JaVale. Again, I see switching as one tool to use on defense, not a magic bullet to build the whole defense around. The direction of the league is positionless basketball eventually, why not give young players that exposure because this team is a few years away either way.



The Cavs don't have a rim protector so they don't have the roster for man defense either.

Are you confident that this coaching staff can implement it effectively?

 

[JMoneyYourHoney]

The Cavs don't have a rim protector so they don't have the roster for man defense either.

The roster, as constructed, is comprised of too many inadequate defenders at their respective positions for any competent defense, and this charts all the way back to Griffin's regime.

But as is, we've seen how many iterations of this roster fail at this particular defensive scheme the past 3+ years?

 

[greenlaker]

I really don't get it. We might have a bad roster. But you can't just say that this roster will suck no matter what you do.you have a starting level and from there on you improve. That's what coaching should do.

And it is not just the lack of that. There are so many other things. You know when you see someone that is not at the right level. Like if you put an amateur into a pro game. This is my feeling and I cannot understand how you find it acceptable.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

Not 100% accurate. When the Cavs didn't have the right grouping when Longabardi first arrived they scrapped it. Frye and Love didn't have the foot speed. Sometimes they returned to it off and on. Then last season they used it through the EC but Golden State shredded it by isolating George Hill on JaVale.

So only...90% accurate?

 

[Randolphkeys]

Are you confident that this coaching staff can implement it effectively?

I'm not confident but my mind isn't made up either. I'm surprised how many fans have made their mind up after exactly three games. I'm absolutely confident fans will react to a small bad sample size by demanding coaches are fired and schemes that have been practiced for months are immediately jettisoned.

The roster, as constructed, is comprised of too many inadequate defenders at their respective positions for any competent defense, and this charts all the way back to Griffin's regime.

But as is, we've seen how many iterations of this roster fail at this particular defensive scheme the past 3+ years?

We agree that we are in the Griffin window of contention has closed, but the Griffin window of paying for those contending teams is absolutely not over. The Cavs were more responsible than many teams that knocked on the door and even won a championship, but the Piper hasn't been paid in full. Dallas isn't done paying for their run that saw a championship in 2011. Lakers were knee deep in the Jerry Buss debt until LeBron showed up and dropped some tinsel on LA.

Did this system actually fail? I disagree in regards to the late run last season up until the Finals. It was good enough to frustrate the class of the East while the offense played LeBron Ball on offense.

So only...90% accurate?

You made me laugh. The post had that going for it.

Until we see more change to the roster, which is still half old guys and half inexperienced guys, definitive statements on which defense is best is really a moot point. Run a few defensive schemes while the talent level replenishes.