Five Problems the Cleveland Cavaliers Need to Address Before Playoffs Begin

2. Defense, Defense, Defense

When Tyronn Lue was promoted to head coach after one-and-a-half seasons as David Blatt’s defensive coordinator, it was logical to think a team which gave up 132 points to the Warriors in the debacle, which prompted the shocking coaching change, would begin to tighten the screws.

Instead, the opposite has occurred.

After the Heat torched them for 122 points in a game where Lue sat down his starters for good before the end of the third quarter, the Cavs ranked 19th in the NBA in defensive field-goal percentage and 14th in defensive rating under Lue compared to ninth in opponent’s shooting and fifth in rating at the time of Blatt’s firing.

Teams have topped the 100-point mark in eight of the Cavs’ first 12 games this month, with the most galling of those being when the Memphis Grizzlies came to town without Zach Randolph, Mike Conley and Marc Gasol but still shot 47.7 percent, while getting 26 points from Tony Allen and a combined 32 points off the bench from Lance Stephenson and a 39-year-old Vince Carter.

Lue told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com that he was at fault for the recent slippage:

“I take full blame for that,” Lue said. “We’re trying to do some different things and now we just got to get back to the basics and get back to our foundation.”

Next: Play Down to the Level of Opponents