3 reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sudden resurgence
By Tony Pesta
Reasons for the Cleveland Cavaliers’ sudden resurgence: Versatile defense
Even when LeBron James was in town, the Cleveland Cavaliers were never really known for their defense. Things got exponentially worse when LBJ left, but for the first time in a long time, Cleveland is playing lockdown defense.
If we are judging by defensive rating, the Cavaliers hold the third-best defense in the league. Their versatility has been the key to their success.
Keys to Cleveland’s defensive success: Three big-lineup
The Cavaliers are the only team in the league to routinely play a trio of seven-footers together. The combined length and mobility of Evan Mobley, Lauri Markkanen, and Jarrett Allen have made the Cavaliers a difficult team to attack.
Mobley ranks first in shots contested per game with Allen placing eighth. A bit further down the list is Markkanen, who contests the 31st most shots in the NBA and the 21st most 3-pointers.
With three seven-footers constantly moving around to contest shots, it’s no wonder the Cavaliers have been one of the most effective defenses in the NBA. Though they rank 23rd in blocked shots, there is no doubt this trio of bigs has altered their fair share of attempts.
Allen, Mobley, and Markkanen have played 294 minutes together this season and hold a Defensive Rating of 97.7, which would be the best of any team in the league.
Keys to Cleveland’s defensive success: Isaac Okoro
Holding everything together for this lineup is Isaac Okoro, whose tenacity and hustle on the perimeter make him the all-important glue guy next to the three bigs.
The three-big lineup, plus Okoro, has played 160 minutes and posts a Defensive Rating of 99.9. While this is slightly lower than the overall effectiveness of the three-bigs together, it would still place second overall in the NBA.
In particular, the Cavaliers were everywhere against the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves. Albeit the Wolves are not a great offensive team and the Bulls were without their leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, but the switchability of Okoro allowed for the three bigs to wreak havoc in the paint.
This is a common theme whenever Okoro is on the floor. While Mobley and Allen both have the foot speed to defend the perimeter (and they do it quite often), having Okoro carry most of the weight allows them to do what they do best – protect the paint.
Okoro is the hidden motor that keeps the Cavs’ intensity ramped up. He never stops pursuing the ball and it is Okoro who accepts the challenge of compensating for Darius Garland’s lack of size on the perimeter each night.