Cleveland Cavaliers: Slowly Becoming True Title Contender

After the Atlanta Hawks’ 19-game winning streak was snapped in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers now have the longest current win-streak in the NBA.

Cleveland stumbled its way through their 11th consecutive win Monday over the Philadelphia 76ers by a score of 97-84.

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I hate to keep repeating myself, but the Cavs continue win with a major improvement on the defensive side of the ball. Of course, their most recent victory came over Philadelphia, who is last in the league in numerous statistical categories, including points per game, field goal percentage and three-point field goal percentage.

However, the Sixers are still a professional team. They still play in the NBA, the world’s best professional basketball league on the planet. Regardless of record, they’re still young professionals fighting for their livelihoods.

For most of the game, the Cavs basically dominated them in every facet. At one point, they held a 20-point lead and were limiting the Sixers to 37 percent shooting from the field.

By the end of the contest, Philly finished shooting just 39.7 percent from the field and scored only 19 points in the fourth quarter.

That, my friends, is because of defense. No matter who they play, it is critical that the Cavs give the same effort and energy on that end of the floor.

STUMBLING TO THE FINISH LINE

After Cleveland owned a 20-point lead in the third quarter, Philly made a push that brought them within two points, forcing the Cavs to actually play the Big Three in the fourth quarter.

The run to get within two was honestly exactly what I wanted to see. Against an inferior team, I wanted to see how David Blatt and his guys would respond. I got my answer.

Jan 28, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving (2) drives against Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge (12) in the fourth quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Led by LeBron James (18 points, 11 rebounds) and Kyrie Irving (24 points, five boards, five assists), Cleveland answered the comeback by outscoring the Sixers 28-19 in the fourth quarter. They shot 10-of-18 from the field, good for 55.6 percent.

Irving, or “Mr. Fourth Quarter” as he’s called by the Cleveland faithful, went 5-for-7 with 12 points. James only scored four points in the fourth, which was his total for the entire second half, but dished out six assists in the final period that were crucial to the 11-1 run the Cavs made in the final four minutes.

Their offense was fueled by their defense and their ability to step up when they needed to most. Philly went just 7-for-17 in the quarter for 41 percent shooting, and the Cavs forced them to turn the ball over seven times.

PROGRESSING SLOWLY

The Cavs are a good offensive team, currently sitting at sixth in the league in offensive efficiency. However, for them to become that title contender that everyone thought they were in the beginning of the year, their defense has got to continue to improve to help them win games when the offense isn’t clicking.

Zach Buckley from Bleacher Report explains just how much the Cavs have improved and are leaning on their defense throughout the win-streak:

"It would be one thing if Cleveland was overwhelming its opponents with offense. Between James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love alone, theCavs have the horses to do just that.While their offense has been boiling hot lately—114.9 points per 100 possessions from Jan. 15 to Jan. 30, the second-highest mark over that stretch—the really remarkable scoreboard numbers are coming from the opposite end of the floor.Entering Saturday, Cleveland had kept its last seven opponents below the century mark. During those games, the Cavs surrendered only 93.3 points per night on 40.1 percent shooting from the field. That was the fifth-lowest scoring average and best field-goal defense over that period.[…]“Our offense is not necessarily dictating our defense,” Irving said, via Cavs.com. “It’s the other way around. That’s the way it has to be, especially if we want to win ballgames. Our defensive intensity is keeping us ahead or within reach of teams, and we close out the game.”Jan 31, 2015; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) dribbles during the first quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports"

Irving said it himself in that statement. For the Cavs to win ballgames, especially in the postseason, their defense has to dictate their offense.

Since Jan.15, they’ve only allowed 100 points or more on one occasion. That came against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan.16, who are the number one team in offensive efficiency this season.

If Cleveland can do that and continue to build on their defensive improvements, then they can certainly fit the mold of a true title contender. We know that their offense can be in the top-five in the league, but it’s time for the opposite end of the court to start creeping its way into at least the top-fifteen to give them a real chance at the NBA Title this season.

The pieces are in place after their January trades, now all David Blatt and the Cavs have to do is prove they be a strong defensive team. Their current win-streak says that they should not be taken lightly on either end of the floor.

Stats via NBA.com.

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