Cavs Reviving Defensive Identity

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been one of the best defensive teams in the NBA since the start of the New Year.

Last season's rendition of the Cleveland Cavaliers was built on defense and a complimentary offense to go along with that. J.B. Bickerstaff mentioned even before the current season began that his team's approach will be more balanced than a year ago and that's so far been the case.

The Cavs overall have the NBA's sixth-best defensive rating of 1117. However, this hasn't been the case the entire season. 

From Opening Night up until December 31, Cleveland was barely a top-10 defense in the league in terms of defensive rating. The Cavs especially were struggling with letting their opponent get more second-chance opportunities (14.2 points a game) in this stretch. Cleveland's defense also allowed their opponent to shoot 46% from the floor which was towards the middle of the pack compared to the rest of the league. 

Oct 25, 2023; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Cam Thomas (24) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Isaac Okoro (35) during the fourth quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / © Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New Year has meant a new focus for Wine and Gold. A priority that starts with stopping their opponent in their tracks. The Cavs have rediscovered their defensive identity since the calendar flipped which has been a key factor in their current five-game win streak.

Cleveland has the second-best defensive rating (105.1) in the NBA since January 1. Only the New York Knicks, who traded for one of the league's best defensive players in OG Anunoby, have a better rating of 104.7. The Cavs have also cut down on giving up second-chance points and sharpened up their three-point defense.

It's an even more impressive turnaround when you remember that Evan Mobley hasn't been on the floor for any of this stretch. Isaac Okoro and Jarrett Allen have done more than their fair share in helping the Cavs refine their defense. 

Caris LeVert touched on this defensive resurgence after Cleveland's victory over the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

"Right now we're really getting timely stops when we need it, and I think the really good teams do that," said LeVert. "That's huge, being able to get stops when you need it. It's a long game and there are really good players on the other team. They're gonna go on runs and things like that, but I think think that, like I said, the mark of a really good team is stringing together those [defensive stops] when you really need them and we've been doing that lately. We've got to keep it up"

LeVert said it best. The Cavs need to keep this defensive mentality a priority if they want to compete with the NBA's best teams.