Tyronn Lue hints at secret plan to help Cavs’ struggling defense
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had little problem putting up points this season, but it’s the other end of the floor that the defending champs have struggled to reach last year’s levels. This month, the Cavs have allowed at least 100 points in 12 of 14 games and best only the lowly Lakers in defensive efficiency in March.
But don’t fear, Cavs fans. Head coach Tyronn Lue says the team’s vanilla defense is all part of the plan. After Saturday’s 127-115 loss to the Wizards – dropping the Cavs to 6-8 this month – Lue said that the team is quite aware of its defensive woes but won’t implement fixes until the playoffs begin.
"We've got to hold back,” Lue said, via Cleveland.com. “We can't show our hand early because ... these are some good teams and we don't want them to be able to come into a series and be able to adjust to what we do. We just have to be able to play our normal defense until we get there and then we will see what happens."
Makes sense but the Cavs’ recent slide has given them a lot less breathing room in their race for the top seed in the East. Cleveland holds just a half-game lead over Boston for the No. 1 spot, and Washington is just 2 ½ games behind the defending champs.
Will Lue sacrifice home-court advantage in the East to keep his plan under wraps? The Cavs' next game – Monday against the Spurs – should be a great test of his patience.
