The Cavaliers are patching up the remaining gaps in their defense.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have built the foundations of an elite defense over recent years. Now? They may be reaching peak form.
It’s early but the Cavs are allowing just 107.9 points per 100 possessions. That’s the third-best defense in the NBA and the best for the franchise since 2016. Those numbers might shift throughout the season but Cleveland’s defense should remain near the top of the league.
You don’t have to look far to figure out why. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley give the Cavaliers 48 minutes of elite rim protection. Cleveland is in the 90th percentile defensively with both bigs on the floor and they can comfortably protect the paint even when one of them is on the bench. This is a luxury that few teams have.
Dean Wade has been absent in Cleveland’s two most recent games but his addition to the starting lineup has made them an even more versatile defensive team. Wade is a truly underrated defender, capable of providing weakside rim protection and giving you 1-5 switchability. Here he is stonewalling Giannis Antetokounmpo in the post.
So the Cavaliers have a collection of elite frontcourt defenders in Wade, Mobley and Allen. But Isaac Okoro can’t go unnoticed as the best perimeter defender on the roster. Even with the NBA’s guard play reaching insane levels of offensive talent — Okoro forces opposing teams to work at getting him away from their best players. He’s a pest that isn’t easy to shake.
Finally, let’s discuss how Darius Garland is quietly turning in the best defensive season of his career. I wouldn’t go as far as to call him a “plus defender” like head coach Kenny Atkinson suggested. But Garland has been delivering reality checks to opponents that target him in switches. He derailed New York’s attempt at bullying him in the fourth quarter and he’s made a habit of disrupting plays off of the ball.
Packaging all of this together, the Cavs are a team that is fully bought into the defensive end with the talent to make them a problem for any offense.
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