NBA Fanhouse: As Jamison Adjusts, Cavs Must Become Defensive

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As Jamison Adjusts, Cavs Must Become Defensive

<ABBR class="published updated">2/22/2010 9:00 PM ET By Pat McManamon</ABBR>

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The most obvious move the Cleveland Cavaliers will make as they attempt to stop their longest losing streak in two years?

Move Antawn Jamison into the starting lineup.

This is no great surprise. Jamison was acquired to provide points and scoring, and he did not seem comfortable coming off the bench in his first two games.

What's more important as the Cavs try to stop a three-game losing streak is that they regain their mojo. And that is to re-establish themselves as a top defensive team.

That they do it while working Jamison into the lineup makes it a little more challenging, but not impossible.

Under Mike Brown, the Cavs are a defense-first team. His teams have won 45 games every year he's been coach -- and 66 last season -- because of defense. Well ... because of LeBron James and defense.

The past three full seasons, teams have shot 43, 45.5 and 44.8 percent against the Cavs and scored 91.4, 96,7 and 92.9 points per game. The emphasis has drawn criticism from those who say the Cavs offense is not efficient, but Brown arrived as a defensive coach and he remains a defensive coach.

Which means the numbers he's seen from his team the past six games might make him ill. Four of the six opponents shot better than 50 percent -- including the Knicks and Nets. Five of the six topped 100 points, two topped 110 (Denver in overtime).

In those games -- against the Knicks, Nets, Magic, Nuggets, Bobcats and Magic -- the Cavs allowed teams to shoot a combined 50.3 percent and average 106 points.

The 12 games prior, the Cavs allowed one opponent to shoot better than 50 percent, and three to top 100 points.

"I'm concerned about it," Brown said after running the Cavs through a two-hour plus practice, with as much emphasis on defending as working Jamison into things.




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</CENTER>The prime factor, Brown said, is the team's physical edge has been missing. The Cavs have never been known as a real physical team. But this season they were playing that way -- to the point that Kobe Bryant called out his Lakers teammates for not matching it in a loss in Cleveland.

"We haven't made our opponents feel us like we were doing earlier in the season," Brown said.

Jamison will work into the offense, and eventually the team's mini-funk about the trade of Zydrunas Ilgauskas will fade. Brown admitted he's been searching for the right spots and right way to use Jamison, and acknowledged, "the players are going to feed off that a little bit."

But he said he started to see good signs in a loss in Orlando on Sunday, and starting Jamison sees to make the most sense.

"They're scripting plays for me offensively, and sometimes I get it and sometimes I'm in la-la land," Jamison said. "They know I'm going to make mistakes. These guys are very patient with me.

"Defensively it's just picking up the schemes."

The Cavs still have the best record in the NBA while having some of the best defensive numbers. They are allowing teams to shoot just 43.8 percent (tied for second). And they are giving up 95 points per game (third).

Brown has never been opposed to his team taking a dose of humble pie during a season -- as long as it learns from the experience. A year ago, he almost welcomed (emphasis on almost) a home loss to the Lakers just before the break because it brought his team a dose of reality.

He now wants his team to accept on old reality about itself.

"We can't have the mindset that we're going to outscore our opponents," he said. "If we do, then for us it will be a short season.

"For anybody it will be a short season. Teams that do that don't win."

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/02/22/as-jamison-adjusts-cavs-must-become-defensive/

Can't wait to see what a 2 hour practice brings tomorrow.