The Cavaliers May Not Be A Defensive Powerhouse Next Season

The Cleveland Cavaliers were among the best regular-season teams in the NBA last year. They finished as a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference, won 51 games, and retained home-court advantage for the playoffs.

Among all of these things, the Cavs also had the best defensive rating in the NBA with 110.6. This is absolutely an impressive feat, but is it something that can be replicated next season?

Maybe not.

Cleveland started Isaac Okoro (117.3 defensive rating), Evan Mobley (108.1), and Jarrett Allen (108.1) in their starting five last season. Mobley and Allen will still be in that first five, but Max Strus seems likely to take over as Cleveland's starting small forward which will also cut some of Okoro's minutes in the rotation.

Strus isn't nearly the defensive player Okoro is even though he will provide a much-needed boost on offense next season.

The Cavs also traded one of their better perimeter defenders, Lamar Stevens, so they could add Strus to their roster. Say what you want about Stevens on offense, but his defensive presence off the bench could be missed as the season goes on and fatigue sets in.

Cleveland's mindset and game plan also play into this as well.

J.B. Bickerstaff opened up before training camp about the possibility of not having one of the best defenses in the NBA again.

"We may not be the No. 1 defense in the league again. But I think we finished last season eighth in efficiency offensively. Our goal is to be Top 5 in both. If we can do that, that can carry us a long way."

This is not to say by any means that the Cavs will have a lousy defense.

Cleveland still has a number of solid defenders on the roster who will get a lot of playing time. However, their primary focus in training camp seems to be on creating a more dynamic offense and becoming a more well-rounded team. Hopefully, this will mean more sustained success throughout the season.