5 big problems facing LeBron James and the Cavs
By Bryce Olin
2. No Interior Defense
Earlier, I touched on the weaknesses along the Cavs’ frontline because they Cavs are old. Well… They also don’t have anyone that can protect the rim by blocking shots.
Kevin Love, Anderson Varejao, and Tristan Thompson will split the majority of frontcourt minutes between power forward and center. All three allowed their opponents to shoot better than 54.8 percent at the rim last season. Obviously, that stat isn’t completely indicative of post defense, but it’s not a great number for any of them. Roy Hibbert and Robin Lopez held opponent’s field goal percentage at the rim to below 43 percent. That was the top mark in the league among qualified big men.
The Cavs do have James, who will play some power forward, and Haywood and Amundson on the bench, but the Cavs are going to have to play like the Miami Heat did defensively in James’ four seasons if they have any chance to defend the paint.
Even then, I don’t see how Cleveland can compete with the Chicago Bulls, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Atlanta Hawks (with Al Horford), and even the Indiana Pacers in the low-block. All of those teams have big men capable of shredding Varejao, Love, and Thompson on a regular basis.
If the Cavs can’t keep the ball out of the hands of the opponent’s post scorers, they’re going to have to get creative with double teams and hope teams with good ball movement don’t torch them. That’s a risk they’re going to have to take.
I keep looking at the Cavs’ roster hoping to find a bright spot in the frontcourt, defensively, and I keep picturing Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah, Nene and Marcin Gortat, Millsap and Horford, and Al Jefferson, by himself, just destroying the Cavs’ frontline.
If the Cavs can’t protect the rim, there’s no way they’ll win the East.