Under J.B. Bickerstaff, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a defensive identity.
Now, with Kenny Atkinson leading the way, they’re focusing more on the other end of the floor.
And while their defense has still been top-ten this season, Evan Mobley believes the team is freelancing too much on that end of the hardwood.
Following yet another loss to the Houston Rockets, the USC product called his teammates out for not giving that much effort on defense anymore:
“I feel like our offense has been so good that I feel like we just haven’t focused as much (on defense),” Mobley said. “I don’t know if the word is focused, but (we have) slacked on that other end. And we’ve just got to put more emphasis on the defensive side and grow that piece.”
Of course, it’s hard to beat a team that knocks down almost 50% of their shots and 40% from beyond the arc, but you can’t win an NBA championship without playing hard-nosed team defense.
The Cavs have been slightly banged up recently, and we’ve witnessed teams struggle to reach the All-Star break multiple times in the past.
Perhaps this is what’s happening now.
Fatigued legs won’t cut it on defense, and we’re already beyond the midpoint of the NBA season.
Perhaps this team just needs to return to full strength, get some rest, and rejuvenate their bodies for the most critical phase of the campaign.
They’ve excelled with their zone defense for most of the season and have the personnel to get stops against almost every team.
Hopefully, it will be a matter of effort and health and not that other teams have caught up to them.
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