Cavaliers Coach Points Out One Area Where Team Must Be Better

The Cleveland Cavaliers' defense is still questionable.

Dec 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome (2) celebrates with guard Donovan Mitchell (45) after hitting a three point basket during the first half against the Milwaukee Bucks at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the most entertaining teams in the NBA, primarily because of their explosive and elite offense.

This offense was on display during Friday night's victory over the Denver Nuggets when the Wine and Gold scored a franchise-setting 149 points.

While Kenny Atkinson acknowledged that his team is "shooting the leather off the ball right now," he also pointed out that the Cavaliers' defense was worrying and they must be better in this area.

"Defense, a little concerning. Not to go on a negative side. But we're not going to shoot the ball like this all the time. So, to give up 135 [points] that stings a little," said Atkinson.

"They're a great offensive team, but we still gotta tighten up our defense. We're not always going to make shots like this."

Dec 27, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) passes the ball to forward Peyton Watson (8) as Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) and guard Darius Garland (10) defend in the third quarter at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Atkinson went on to say that the Cavaliers especially need to limit their opponent's transition offense. The Nuggets scored 23 fast break points against the Cavaliers.

Cleveland's coach also thought Denver got too many open looks because of their five-out offense and backdoor cuts.

It all comes down to making sure the Cavs don't give up "too many easy points," as Atkinson calls them.

The Cavaliers may be on pace to win 70 games this season, but this response from Atkinson after a historic win shows that this team is aware there are still areas they must improve if they want to go on a deep playoff run this spring.

There's still plenty of time to make these adjustments, and the Wine and Gold can't get too complacent with their game plan.