LOS ANGELES – Shortly after Sunday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, his sixth consecutive during this disgusting stretch, some players pulled video clips in the visitor’s locker room, wanting to see where things went wrong.
Veteran pivot JaVale McGee, three-time NBA champion, gave tips to Collin Sexton, who then gave advice to newcomer Isaac Okoro, encouraging him to get into the ball a little more on the defensive while continuing to look for his attack points in the attack. Darius Garland asked Sexton to help him stop the ball in the transition, after giving up 16 fastbreak points in defeat.
The Cavs believe they have identified their main problem. Make no mistake, there is more than just one. However, any chance of a rebirth begins in defense – the side of the court that reinforced an impressive start, the area that should help undermanned Cavaliers to remain competitive.
“I don’t think there’s a problem with the attack right now,” said Cedi Osman after the 128-111 defeat. “I think that defensively we need to be better. I mean, it is not enough, especially against this type of team. We have to play harder. You see the other teams, they are not letting us score easy, but we lost so many easy points tonight. Offensively, we will score because we have guys who can score basketball, but defensively we just have to be better ”.
Recognizing a problem is important. The real question is whether the defensive problems that plagued Cavs during this miserable month can be fixed.
“I feel like they can be fixed,” said Sexton. “We gave up on a few open 3s tonight, those that were fully open. We let the guys just get away from the dribble. When this is the case, it will be a difficult game. If your man is getting worse and he’s making everyone spin, it’s kind of hard to play like that.
“We have been talking about it. We know what we have to do. We just have to go out there and do that. At the end of the day, we cannot continue to talk about it. We cannot continue to say that we will turn it on. It doesn’t work like that. We have to make sure that we are just playing hard, playing for each other, and we have to be proud of the defense. We cannot allow teams to make 120, 130, this will not win any game ”.
At one point this season, Cavs, who were last in defensive efficiency for two consecutive years, were sitting at the top of that category. They have now dropped to 22nd.
On Friday night, Cleveland conceded 70 points in the first half to a Los Angeles team that played without Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. It didn’t even matter that the Cavs’ attack burst to 58 points. They were still behind 12 halfway. At the end of the night, the Clippers became the sixth team in the last seven games to reach the 120 point mark. Only the Phoenix Suns failed. They lost by one point.
“I don’t know the answer, but it is very easy for us to see the situation between playing defense and not playing defense,” said Osman. “When we are playing defense, we were offensively great. We were sharing basketball and playing for each other. There will be nights when they will obviously score, but we have to show the effort, tenacity and willingness we want to play in defense ”.
Osman said the only option is to be together.
“I think playing in the team’s defense. Helping each other and covering each other, ”he said. “That was the best part that we were doing at the beginning of the season. At the moment, we’re just leaving each other on the island and letting them play one on one. We can not do that. We had a difficult period. We played against very good teams. That’s true. But, I mean, I don’t think it’s an excuse because we have already beaten good teams, great teams, and we were competing with them. Why not compete now? We need to get our minds right. We are working on it. Coaches are working on this. We are trying to understand and accept everything they tell us. It’s on us. It’s in the players. Because we are the ones who play. We have to be better. “
In addition to the impromptu session on Sunday night, players seem to think that interruptions in the film with the coaches remain beneficial. Bickerstaff provided the platform for them to speak openly at meetings. It is a matter of responsibility, pointing out mistakes constructively, rather than placing the blame.
According to Osman, there is an acknowledgment of errors by the entire team when they appear in the film. The guys can see where improvements need to be made. But there is a breakdown somewhere.
“We have to do this in court,” said Osman. “I know that we are a team that can play defense. It’s the same thing at the beginning of the season as it is now. No difference. OK, yes, we are losing some players now, but that cannot be an excuse. There is always a next man and our mentality has to be defense, defense, defense and then let’s think about the attack. That’s the only way it’s going to push us to win the games now. “
Larry Nance Jr. marginalized by a fractured left hand does not help. He is Cleveland’s most impactful defender, one of the spokesmen for that tip.
The opponent’s offensive score with Nance on the ground is 108.5. That would be the equivalent of an attack running like the Detroit Pistons or the Washington Wizards – two teams in the bottom third of the league. With Nance out of bounds, the opponent’s offensive rating explodes to 117.5 like a machine. This is comparable to Clippers, Nets and Jazz – three of the best in the league.
Andre Drummond’s regression is also notable – although he is still seventh in Defensive Actions for Victory and sixth in the standings.
The Cavs know that a better defense could relieve the pressure of the attack a little. The same may be true in another way, with the offense providing confidence, preventing the shoulders from falling and not allowing it to affect subsequent assets.
“We have to go back there. And I feel that we have moved away from that, ”said Sexton. “We know what we have to do, we only have to do it for 48 minutes. We can’t make a room, two rooms at most, because the games are over. The only way to get out of it is together and continue to build on it and continue to trust each other. “
At this point, Cavs probably feel that every time they try to plug a hole, water gushes out of another.
Perhaps there is a lot to mend and not enough mass.
“We know we need to be better,” said coach JB Bickerstaff. “And when you understand that, it’s the beginning. We understand that we haven’t played our best basketball, again, against really good teams. If you have that mindset, you will have the opportunity to go out and improve and be better. And that is where we are now. The guys are still engaged, they are still buying into what we are trying to do. They are together. We don’t shatter or break. “
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