![]() ![]() It’s not exactly breaking news to say Cleveland’s defense has been bad in 2016-17. And it’s true: They likely can find that next level as the lights continue to get brighter.īut that doesn’t mean there’s zero cause for concern, either. So it’s sort of hard to comprehend why their defense has been so abysmal this season.Ī lot has to do with the general malaise that comes with knowing (or at least believing) they can simply flip a switch whenever necessary, activating James into a defensive demon, Tristan Thompson into a Hulk on the glass and Kevin Love into Game 7 Kevin Love, who apparently can shut down two-time reigning MVPs with NBA history on the line. ![]() In fact, their defensive rating throughout the title run was a healthy 103.5 -a mark that would have been ninth-best league-wide in 2015-16. Over the final three games of the Finals, the Cavs outrebounded the Warriors by 14, held them to 95.7 points nightly (during a year in which they averaged 114.9 ) and didn’t allow an offensive rating over 98.1 in two of the three contests (including the decisive Game 7). And LeBron James’ transcendent performance aside, Cleveland’s defense provided the primary spark. It was improbable and unexpected, but most of all, incredible to behold. Golden State didn’t “blow” anything it got its lunch money taken. But rather than fold up shop, they went Syrio Forel on the Warriors, taking a 3-1 deficit and turning it into a championship for Northern Ohio. They were staring defeat dead in the face. It’s because it discredits what the Cleveland Cavaliers accomplished. ![]() The Golden State Warriors blew a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals… easily the most overused and ill-considered joke in recent NBA Twitter history. ![]()
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