Trouble in Cleveland

[tazzmaniac]

I don't think the effort is okay at all.

Dion, Irving, LeBron, and Love all just watch a whole lot on defense.

I guess their defense stinks when they won 8 in a row not too long ago.  Also just when Varejao got injured it got worse on the defensive end.

They need a center.

You can win games while playing bad defense.

In fact the Cavs have done just that all season, 4th in ORTG and 22nd in DRTG.

The 8 game win streak came against largely bad offensive team, teams that are more limited in their ability to take advantage of the Cavs:
Orlando, Washington, Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Toronto, Brooklyn, Toronto

The bold teams are bottom 10 offenses, though obviously beating Toronto/Wizards are good wins. The Cavs have had some good defensive games and some bad ones as any team will. But their overall defensive effort is just poor up and down their whole roster it seems.

Teams can win in the regular season relying on their offense but in the playoffs teams have to be able to play good defense.  At least good enough to get some stops at critical junctures in close games.  In a 7 game series, coaches are better able to take advantage of weak links.  Are either of the two centers, Mozgov and Koufos, mentioned as possibilities for the Cavs considered to be good defensive centers? 

[csfansince60s]

And taking over games is great, but I don't think that's the same as being a good leader. He always seems to challenge his coach's authority - he tried the same thing in Miami with Erik Spoelstra, but they have a more stable management group in place. Lebron is always good when his team is winning, but he doesn't always show leadership through adversity - it's not always the case, but it's enough to be noticeable. On a team with a younger core, shouldn't the elder statesman with championship experience not change the offense without consulting the coach?

+1..I'll never forget the self-proclaimed "king"'s last game as a Cav, when he's walking out the tunnel and ripping his Cavs jersey off in disgust. literally and figuratively walking away from a franchise that put a decent team around him. (It may have not been a great team, but it was far better than any team Carmello Anthony has ever had around him.

[Fafnir]

Both Koufous and Mozgov are solid defensively. Koufos is better overall at defense with superior help instincts, Mozgov is more physically imposing of a figure.