The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Love: Simplify Cavaliers’ ‘D’ for ‘W’ this season
Winless Cavaliers searching for fix to defensive breakdowns plaguing team in key moments
Playing better defense in the CLE is all about communicating ELC, says Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue.
Playing better defense in the CLE is all about communicating ELC, says Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue.
Defensive breakdowns in their first three games are a major reason the Cavaliers will still be looking for their first victory when they host the Brooklyn Nets at 7 p.m. Oct. 24 at Quicken Loans Arena. Lue says those breakdowns can be traced to players not talking to each other enough when opponents use screens and picks to get open shots.
“When you’re switching, you have to call the switches out so the man can’t get behind and gets dunks and layups and easy shots,” Lue said after practice Oct. 23 in Independence. “We talk about it every day. ELC — Early, Loud and Continuous. We just have to keep getting better at it.”
The Cavaliers were blown out, 133-111, by the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 21 in a sobering home opener at The Q. The Hawks were 22 of 47 on 3-point plays, had 32 assists and turned the ball over only 12 times.
“We talk about it every day. ELC — Early, Loud and Continuous. We just have to keep getting better at it.” – Cavs coach Tyronn Lue of lack of communication on defense.
All of those numbers are a poor reflection of the way the Cavaliers played defensively.
The Cavs were beaten in Toronto in their season opener, 116-104, when the Raptors were 45 of 92 from the floor and 14 of 33 (42.4 percent) on 3s. They lost their second game, 131123, in Minnesota when the Timberwolves made 44 of 87 shots from the floor.
Three games into a season is too soon to draw any conclusions about how the
Cavaliers will be playing in March and April, but they want to avoid digging a hole that will be too deep to climb out of because this team doesn’t seem to be one capable of going on long winning streaks.
Allowing opponents to shoot nearly 50 percent every night only makes that hole deeper.
Players have their own opinions. Even rookie Collin Sexton is speaking up.
“We gave up too many easy 3s, transition layups,” Sexton said after the game with the Hawks. “We just have to pretty much play defense and stop complaining and just talk it out and communicate.”
Forward Kevin Love, the self-proclaimed leader of the Cavaliers now that LeBron James is playing for the Lakers, says the Cavs have to simplify what they’re doing on the defensive end. Love, too, though, said problems are rooted in communication breakdowns.
“We have to have our one or two coverages and stick to those out of the gate and kind of bring everybody along with what we’re trying to do,” Love said after practice.
“We’ve seen defenses in the past in the four years I’ve been here where we’ve
made things a little bit too complicated for ourselves so we went back to our basic coverages and then built it out from there.
“I think that’s what you’re going to see us doing here. But I think more than anything, just having our brothers’ backs, helping each other on second and third efforts, and if we do that we’re going to be a lot better off.”
The Nets are 1-2. They have their own defensive issues.
They were beaten, 132-112, by the Pacers on Oct. 20 in their last game when Indiana canned 51 of 94 shots (55.4 percent).