The Cavaliers’ defense is fairly close to where Mike Brown would like it to be. That speaks volumes when you talk about a season that’s just three games in -- and when you think about how Brown has been afforded just a month to coach this group.
But the offense, well, it could use a little work. Then again, probably not as much as you think.
Honest. The Cavs’ 89-74 loss to the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Saturday was far from a disaster.
As Cavs coach Mike Brown said, for the most part, the ball just wouldn’t go through the doggone hoop. Brown even suggested the Cavs had their best game offensively in terms of moving the ball.
But when you shoot 35 percent from the field (as the Cavs did), it won’t really matter if your opponent shoots 41 percent (as the Pacers did).
There’s no major shame in losing at Indiana. The Pacers came within one game of the NBA Finals last season. They have no real super-duper star. Instead, they play unselfishly, get physical near the basket and create fast-break opportunities off steals.
It’s very similar to how the Cavs (1-2) want to do things.
Difference is, the Pacers (3-0) have been playing this way under coach Frank Vogel for some time. They made it to the first round of the playoffs three seasons ago, then advanced to the second round the year after that. Last season, they took the next logical step, falling to Miami in seven games in the conference finals.
The Cavs? They’ve finished last in the Central Division three straight years. They’re the second-youngest team (next to Philadelphia) in the league. They are where the Pacers used to be, and Brown and the front office believe the Cavs can eventually get to a similar place to where the Pacers are today.
But it will be a gradual process, not one gigantic leap.
Of course, that’s big-picture stuff. As for the actual game, the Cavs did the same thing you can expect most of the season. They kept it hideously ugly and close for the majority of the night. That can sometimes work against a superior team like the Pacers. It rarely works in the Pacers’ building.
Dion Waiters was much better than the previous outing at Charlotte. Against the Pacers, Waiters finished with a team-high 17 points and generally seemed more sure of himself. As a second-year guard, his bumpy learning curve is likely to continue.
Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving had a solid all-around game (15 points and five assists) but exemplified the idea that the Cavs played hard, but couldn’t shoot straight. Irving was just 6-of-17 from the floor.
“As crazy as it sounds, I thought it was our best offensive night,” Brown said. “The ball moved and bodies moved.”
The basket must have moved too, because the Cavs couldn’t seem to find it.
Anyway, after two fantastic nights to open the season, Tristan Thompson scored just two points. He had a tough time dealing with big, physical Pacers such as Roy Hibbert, David West and Luis Scola. All that really means is Thompson is not alone in this world.
Lance Stephenson led the Pacers with a game-high 22 points, and returning All-Star Paul George was mostly fantastic with 21 points and 13 rebounds.
The Cavs probably could have used Andrew Bynum on a night like this -- but the big center with recuperating knees was held out for precautionary reasons. The hope is that he’ll someday soon really help in games like these.
In the meantime, the Cavs will just have to keep growing defensively and hope that the ball eventually falls.
The Pacers, clearly, are a good role model in both of those areas.
Twitter: @SamAmicoFSO
