It was a horrid game. That said, it doesn't overly concern me. In a strange way I almost feel like we miss Shumpert in these regular season type match-ups more than Kyrie. Clearly you need both to challenge for anything.
I'm no basketball expert, but it feels like we have weakness on every level of defense at the moment, and that they exacerbate each other. When you take Shump's perimeter defense away, it creates open layup lanes constantly, and Lebron ends up being the only perimeter defender when Delly is sitting, and it saps his energy on the offensive end.
Love can only defend well in context. With last year's Timo and good perimeter defense, he's fine to hold down a limited role, and with the way he's playing offensively, the result would be better than anything we saw last year.
But Mo playing matador defense, JR gambling and over pursuing into a frontline of Love, a not right Moz, and TT is deep trouble. Even when guys get into the paint against Shump, they aren't moving at the same speed and straight line to the hoop that they are when Mo, and at times JR are defending them. If a guy gets a free run to the hoop Love is of almost no use. He's simply too slow to react. Shump, Lebron, and Delly make guys come at harder angles and he seems to be okay if he has time to get his feet under him. His best defense is basically crowding a guy into a bad spot, but that's impossible when they are running free right at you down the middle.
Whether it's physical, mental, a combination of both and being out of shape, Timo just looks so lost. I'm wondering if coming from playing at altitude if we didn't get the most fit Timo possible when he arrived last year after playing a half season in Denver. That Timo might be as good as it gets.
To me, bad defense has been a constant, but tonight was a bit of an aberration compared to the other losses. Those games I felt we'd win right until we didn't. We lost because of repeated defensive breakdowns.
Tonight we lacked energy from the tip and looked different than anything I've seen in the last 50 games. It looked like a road back to back in a party town. We had to miss close to a dozen point blank layups. Just off the top of my head I can recall Moz missing 3 or 4, Love missing 3, and even Lebron missing two put back layups that you never see missed. I know there were others.
I think when Shump comes back, all the 2 and 4 point wins against bad and moderately bad teams turn into 10 and 12 point wins. They'll win most against better than average teams, but need Kyrie healthy, Moz playing like last year, and a full complement to approach what we saw at the end of last year. I'm still optimistic because Kevin has played offense so well most of the year, so I think our ceiling is much higher, but I don't think we really get a chance to see it until February, which is fine, as long as it eventually gets there.
I really dont see anything Blatt can do in the meantime besides starting Delly, and only bringing in Mo with the second unit to provide energy and points. He's got to experiment with the starting lineup because you can't have a starting 5 with one consistent defender in Lebron. The Timo situation has to resolve itself somehow. I'd tell him to solely focus on defense and putbacks for now. Trying to feed him is a lesson in futility. Half the time we turnover the entry pass, and the other he can't convert even if in position.
I'll remain optimistic, but we are going to have to be 100% healthy come playoff time to be real contenders. Our team makeup doesn't lend itself to mix and match.
