Caris LeVert Bluntly Assesses Where Cavs Are Defensively
Coming off their most complete game of the young season, the Cleveland Cavaliers once again had a rough first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder that put them behind the eight-ball. A strong second-half effort got the wine-and-gold to within four points in the fourth quarter, but it was too deep of a hole to climb out of. The Cavs lost 128-100.
With 40 first-half points in the paint, the Thunder were getting way too much penetration against Cleveland’s perimeter defenders. All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was responsible for the majority of the damage, ending the night with 43 points on 15-for-22 from the field. Twenty-six of those came inside and he made 12 of 13 free throws to boot. On the night, Oklahoma City scored 60 points in the paint overall.
Caris LeVert was the Cavs’ leading scorer of the night with 29 points and a career-high 16 free-throw attempts, but he wanted to be honest about Cleveland’s defensive mishaps in his postgame interview.
“We let 'em in the paint too much. They were drawing fouls and then we were kinda playing a little hands off in the second half and they took advantage of it,” LeVert said after the defeat. “I think a night like tonight, and in general, it's the NBA. There's great players, great scorers. I think we have to do a better job of prioritizing those people defensively, playing together as a unit defensively and knowing where the real problem is.
“I think tonight we kinda lost sight of that. I think we were too worried about our own man and not worried about playing team defense, and they took advantage of it.”
LeVert expounded upon the matter further when pressed to explain what he meant by that.
“Knowing who the guy is for them, knowing when they need to get a bucket and really locking into that possession. I think sometimes we lose sight of the full spectrum of the game,” LeVert added. “There's certain moments in a game where obviously they're trying to get the ball to Shai at this point of the game, at this spot on the court. Let's make it tough for him to get to his spot, you know what I mean?
“I think we have a young team and we're still figuring out those moments in the game. And obviously those are small moments, but those build confidence and it builds momentum and things like that. I think there's small moments in the game where we can be better.”
Nov 8, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) goes up for a basket against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) during the second half at Paycom Center.
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Asked if he is concerned about the Cavs’ second slow start on the defensive end against a faster, more paint-driven team — excluding an aging Golden State that was more perimeter-oriented, according to him — LeVert was quick to answer.
“Definitely. Defense is what we hang our hats on, so that's definitely a concern and we definitely have to figure that side of the ball out,” LeVert said. “I think tonight was the third game we all played together with JA [Jarrett Allen], but we can't keep using that as an excuse.
"We've got to go out there and figure it out. That's our unit, you know what I mean? Each and every game is a learning experience, and we'll keep getting better from it.”
LeVert being this blunt shows true leadership in holding everybody accountable. The Cavs should be better off because of it.
