What's wrong with Cavs defense? Your thoughts

[The Disector]

“Z (Zydrunas Ilgauskas) was good. I thought he was great. He got some deep post up positions for us. He made it tough on them inside. He also defensively came across and changed some shots from the back side.” Coach Brown

Cmon Karma-If you want the truth about your team you dont ask someone on your team or coaching that team.

It would be wrong for a teammate or a coach to be utterly critical of another player.

What is the coach going to do point out all of his players weakness and say how bad he is. The most you will ever get out of a coach is a slight critique of something they could do better.

Another thing anyone who thinks the Cavs played good defense last night better guess again- the Nugget offensive execution and sets were just awful.

 

[CleveRocks]

Disector, I don't disagree that we need better Point guard play at both ends or that we need more muscle in the PF but to say Z is the problem is ridiculous.

The problem is a team problem. We have all kinds of talent, more than 80% of the nba teams. The problem is that the players need to play defense for 48 minutes a game. Everybody all the time. It starts with Lebron. If he starts coasting on defense, everybody lets up and the next thing you know we are down 20. 48 minutes every game. That is the key to fixing the cavs.

 

[Karma]

You watch the pick'n'roll. Brown gets Ilgauskas to really push out on the point guard well past the pick. No matter how athletic he is he will not get back to cover his man. This is why having a decent front court partner who can rotate quickly is so important. This is my only real gripe with Gooden. He rotates horribly and with the style of defense Brown has employed this is a problem. This is why I want Marshall in there.

 

[The Disector]

Disector, I don't disagree that we need better Point guard play at both ends or that we need more muscle in the PF but to say Z is the problem is ridiculous.

The problem is a team problem. We have all kinds of talent, more than 80% of the nba teams. The problem is that the players need to play defense for 48 minutes a game. Everybody all the time. It starts with Lebron. If he starts coasting on defense, everybody lets up and the next thing you know we are down 20. 48 minutes every game. That is the key to fixing the cavs.

Im not saying Z is this teams only defensive problem, in fact I said this teams has several defensive problems but anyone who watches Cavalier basketball has to admit that the person teams consistently attack defensively is Ilgauskas and this team is not good enough in other areas to make up for his shortcomings.

 

[aaronr]

I'm too lazy to start a new thread so I'll piggyback on this one. In answer to the question, and based on last night's win over Denver, I'd say that Lebron's lackadaisical defense is a big problem. Look what happened last night, when he finally got serious about guarding someone. He put the clamps on Anthony for a stretch, serious clamps to the point where Anthony couldn't get the ball, and when he did, couldn't get off a good shot. And when Lebron turned it up, everybody else did. So without trying to defend the other lackadaisical defenders (nearly everyone with the exception of Snow), I'd say that the key to the team's defense is Lebron's willingness to begin doing what he did last night on a regular basis. We all know that his lack of hard work on defense is what will keep him from being the next Michael Jordan; hopefully he's learning that too. Adios, amigos.

 

[CleveRocks]

defensively is Ilgauskas and this team is not good enough in other areas to make up for his shortcomings.

Any team with any sense is going to know that is how you beat the cavs. Go to work on Z get him tired and or in foul trouble, and then pound the ball inside the rest of the game. That is because we have no real center behind him. That has nothing to do with his ability, just with the team make up. This was all discussed in the preseason thread regarding the Magloire trade to Milwaukee.