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Cool article about the Cavs' defense in the Washington Post - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-much-on-paper-but-clevelands-onto-something/
While the Cavaliers are indisputably an offensive juggernaut, Cleveland’s defense is rarely credited for the team’s success. Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and J.R. Smith can certainly put the ball in the hole, but outside of Love’s one huge stop at the end of Game 7 in last season’s NBA Finals, all three players are regarded more as turnstiles than brick walls on the defensive end.
And yet, the team’s 8-1 start is every bit as fueled by their defensive play, which is better than advertised — even if subtly so.
Why? The Cavs are keeping opponents away from corner threes and defending the restricted area well.
If you watch the Cavaliers play, it could be frustrating to see them allow so many three-point shots — their opponents take 28.7 shots per game from beyond the three-point line this season, the third-highest total in the NBA — but not all three-point shots are created equal. And that’s where the Cavs get you.
Last season, the Cavaliers allowed opponents to score 102.3 points per 100 possessions, the 10th-best mark in the NBA. This year, they are allowing 101.7, but the frequency of corner threes has dropped dramatically, accounting for 19 percent of three-point shots against compared to 25.4 percent a year ago.
low amount of contested shots this season, which accounts for just 56.7 per game, the third-fewest in the NBA. The team knows they are funneling shots to the inefficient parts of the court, therefore they aren’t as concerned about contesting them. In other words, part of the Cavaliers’ game plan is to allow their opponents to beat themselves.
It also explains how the team can hold opponents to 1.04 points per possession on unguarded catch-and-shoot plays, which make up almost two-thirds of all catch-and-shoot opportunities against. Only seven other teams are better defenders during these possessions.
As mentioned before, Irving’s defense has never been his calling card, but like the team, he is perhaps better than credited.
When Irving is the primary defender, teams are scoring 1.16 points per possession, bad enough to place him in the bottom 10 percent of the league. Typically, that comes in the form of the pick and roll, which scores 54.5 percent of the time against him this season.
Yet Irving still has a lot of value defensively. When the all-star guard is on the court, opposing teams are attempting 26.1 three-point shots per 48 minutes, which rises to 35.1 when he is on the bench.
Smith is in a similar situation. The three-point gunner is only average defensively this season (0.93 points allowed per possession) but reduces opponents’ three-point attempts by 4.4 per 48 minutes. That explains how he can rank in the top 30 percent of the league for points per possession allowed on unguarded catch-and-shoot attempts.
Also adding to the improved defensive efforts is Cleveland’s ability to defend around the basket. The percentage of shots allowed by the Cavaliers in the restricted area has remained steady from 2015-16 to now, but the team allows 1.09 points per possession on drives to the rim, the fifth-best mark in the NBA. Last year, they ranked No. 15 with 1.13 points allowed per possession.
LeBron James is the star here, holding opponents to 42.9 percent shooting around the basket so far this season. Stretch-four option Frye has been equally as good (42.9 percent shooting near the basket) and when he’s on the court, the team enjoys a 99.4 defensive rating this season, which increases to 102.7 when Frye is on the bench.
“Big guys like the paint,” Frye told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I make them allergic to it. It’s just kind of how it is.”
The Cavaliers are off to as strong a start as we could have expected, and since defense wins championships, they are making a solid case to repeat in the NBA Finals. It’s just kind of how it is.