Let's talk defense!

[FrontPageNews]

I really,really hope there's a switch they can hit. And I hope Lebron will be rested enough to hit it for long periods of time.

 

[The Red Viper]

*play

Think it was a typo by Pip.

Bye.

 

[Bob Loblaw]

Frye is really bad, that's all I'm gonna add for now.

I'll expand on your post a bit...we can't keep playing him at C with our current group of guards. He has fallen off the veteran cliff...no rebounding, no defense, bad shooting. JR and Love will help fix the rebounding and defense to an extent, but with Bogut's injury we need another center badly.

 

[LeeBuckeye]

Frye is too slow to hedge then shuffle back. You can forget about him contesting guards penetrating to the hole. I'm not even sure he is a better player than James Jones. JJ is tougher, sets better screens, and does what Frye does best at an even higher level.

Overall defensive scheme:

Can someone explain to me why we're sending an unnecessary 3rd helper near the paint when that individual has no chance at bothering the shot? This happens too often where a great outcome on defense turns into a wide open shot for the opponent.

The lack of efforts is embarrassingly obvious, but our coverages confuse me often

 

[Rich]

I'll expand on your post a bit...we can't keep playing him at C with our current group of guards. He has fallen off the veteran cliff...no rebounding, no defense, bad shooting. JR and Love will help fix the rebounding and defense to an extent, but with Bogut's injury we need another center badly.

The guards have to get better. Shumpert and Irving have to pull their heads out of their asses on defense.

Shumpert is a garbage player, so I expect little. But I have been bitterly disappointed in Irvings effort on that end this year. Reaaallly thought he was gonna take the Finals and vault himself into two way player. He hasn't.

 

[Gimme Some Mo]

This has to be the least fun I've ever had watching a good Cleveland team. The lack of effort and heart on defense just pisses me off on a nightly basis. I am really missing Delly this year. Nobody on this team has half the heart he does. It's just pathetic.

 

[RichieRichPaul]

Defense took a nose dive when they gave it to longobardi

Picked up when lue took over for playoffs

Longobardi is trash

 

[Rich]

It is increasingly hard to watch this team playing with such little passion on the defensive end. Here's hoping they have a switch, but in the meantime I'm gonna have to start turning off the games the rest of the way. Not good for my anger.

 

[LeeBuckeye]

Defense took a nose dive when they gave it to longobardi

Picked up when lue took over for playoffs

Longobardi is trash

I agree but it will be an awkward exit that will require Griffin, the Don, to step in as Lue is too connected to Longabardi. Plus Lue likes how strain-free his neck is when talking to Longo. Somebody tell Lue that Mike has been messing with the game since we hired him away from the unemployment line after he was let go at Phoenix who got a top 3 pick. You need playoff mode Bron and prime KG type IQ to make his s*** smell tolerable. He has been with us for more than year yet players have NO IDEA regarding assignments and schemes. I'm hopeful he is gone by playoffs because why should Ty do two jobs while Longabardi sits there?

 

[dark2332]

I agree but it will be an awkward exit that will require Griffin, the Don, to step in as Lue is too connected to Longabardi. Plus Lue likes how strain-free his neck is when talking to Longo. Somebody tell Lue that Mike has been messing with the game since we hired him away from the unemployment line after he was let go at Phoenix who got a top 3 pick. You need playoff mode Bron and prime KG type IQ to make his s*** smell tolerable. He has been with us for more than year yet players have NO IDEA regarding assignments and schemes. I'm hopeful he is gone by playoffs because why should Ty do two jobs while Longabardi sits there?

We had a coaching shake-up last year. I hope Griff has the balls to step in and fire Longabardi for Lue immediately.

The team needs it, for nothing else than belief at this point. We need a scapegoat and something to energize these players defensively.

 

[FrontPageNews]

Idk what the f longabardi is thinking with his scheme. It's like he has a scheme drawn up for some dominate shot blocking big to have the offense funneled into. It's not fair to TT to put him in that position.

 

[23LBJ]

no bogut, no hope this team can play decent defense - WE'RE F*CKED

i hope sanders has something left in his tank - otherwise we'll have to outscore opponents night in night out to win games; won't be able to do that against warriors in a 7 game series. and if the spurs can take them out we're f*cked anyways, no way we can defend them in the low post without a presence like bogut down there

 

[fujikuro]

Any chance that the Cavs can pick up another big man? Who would we have to cut?

 

[K1rieIrving>AllOtherPG's]

Any chance that the Cavs can pick up another big man? Who would we have to cut?

Bogut for Sanders

 

[LeeBuckeye]

I looked at every contending LeBron team of the last decade and here is what I found regarding defensive efficiency rankings:

Early Cavs:

2006-2007 - 4th
2007-2008 - 5th
2008-2009 - 1st
2009-2010 - 8th

The above were end of year ranking, they weren't talented teams sans Bron but they gave it their all and Brons chill mode wasn't on full max during the regular season lol.

The following were true contending teams and just to have a better indicator I set the date to March 7th for each respective year:


Miami:

2010-2011 - 5th
2011-2012 - 9th (Champs)
2012-2013 - 11th (Champs 27 in a row)
2013-2014 - 14th

Big 3 struggled with fit and expectations but their defense in the first year was breath taking toward the end. I remember 2013-2014 season and they were horrendous. They knew Pacers couldn't beat them and were a lock for a finals appearance. They played like it all season and we all obviously know what happened against the Spurs (yikes).

Cavs:

2014-2015 - 20th (Skewed after Moz)
2015-2016- 8th (Champs)
2016-2017 - 20th

I read somewhere that no team outside the top 10 in this category has ever won a title. A healthy Moz isn't walking through that door this time. Just hoping a little luck comes our way health wise. This season also revealed how important of a piece JR Smith is not only shooting/spacing/defending but TOUGHNESS which we lack in spades.

With our starters back we should easily be in the finals however, if our defensive intensity/schemes don't change we're headed for a 2013-2014 Miami-Spurs like gentlemen's sweep regardless of the opponent.