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For as downright dominant as the Cleveland Cavaliers have been to start the season, they aren't flawless. In their first and currently only loss of the season, the Cavs were carved up on defense by the Boston Celtics on the perimeter. More often than not, Cleveland would sag off Boston's perimeter attack, looking to protect the rim instead. For the Celtics, that's exactly how they want opponents to defend them. It allows Boston to get efficient looks from outside the arc at an incredibly high volume.
While Cleveland eventually adjusted to Boston's playing style, it was too little, too late. When asked what went wrong defending the Celtics, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson uniquely compared how his team handled Boston's perimeter attack.
“It's a little bit like youth soccer,” Atkinson said of his team’s defensive performance. “We all kind of go to the ball. And then it's like, ‘Come on, guys. We had that one under control.'”
The Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the league with their 16-1 record. But they must clean up this area to seriously challenge Boston in the Eastern Conference. You can’t get past the Celtics with this type of perimeter defense. Additionally, this will only become a more significant issue as more and more teams try to copy Boston’s blueprint.
“I still believe you gotta protect your rim and protect your paint,” Atkinson continued. “Then, it's [about] finding that appropriate help. I do think we got caught probably five, six, seven times where we did not read the drive correctly. If the drive is controlled, there’s no need to help, right?”
To Atkinson's point, Boston went 22-41 (53.7%) from beyond the arc. Many of these were situations where the Cavs slightly helped off their man. This consistent chaos from the Celtics poked holes in how Cleveland defended them. It gave Boston far too many open looks and kept the Cavs second-guessing at times.
Can the Cavs correct how the Celtics burned them from the perimeter?
What Boston was able to do to Cleveland isn't some sudden revelation, either. Throughout the season, the Cavs have given up the second-most three-pointers per game, allowing opponents to hit on 38.2% of their attempts. So, rather than being the first team to exploit Cleveland's primary defensive flaw, Boston's clinical offense just spotlighted the issue and amplified it.
“It’s just what the league has become,” Atkinson said. “We got to be aware of this and shift our defense a little bit to understand and cover the three-point line better.”
The lackluster three-point defense has statistically shifted the defensive-first perspective the Cavs usually play with. Cleveland owns the tenth-best defense in the NBA based on defensive rating, allowing 111.3 points per 100 possessions. While that's still rock solid and above league average, with the Celtics putting a spotlight on the Cavs' most significant flaw, they cannot afford to let their defense slip any further.
“It’s tough to read if you want to help or don’t want to help,” Evan Mobley said. “It’s kind of like pick your poison. We just got to do a better job of guarding our guard.”
Five out offenses have caused the Cavs problems this season and will continue to do so until Cleveland adjusts. Thankfully, the Cavs know the issue and are studying film to better prepare for spaced-out lineups.
“It’s just about staying home,” Jarrett Allen said. “We have two good rim-protecting bigs: Evan and I, and even a lot of guards that can protect the rim. I think we get a little too happy protecting the rim at times. All of us. Guards and bigs included.”
