Sam Merrill Makes Bold Claim About Cavs Defensive Hopes

Sam Merrill is coming off a fantastic season with the Cavaliers. During his most recent media session too, he was harping on the fact that they have lofty goals for their defense this upcoming campaign. Hard to blame them after seeing the types of moves they’ve made there.

Peyton Watson joining the squad should give them a major lift on that side of the ball and certainly make them quite a bit scary, too. But, just how good does Merrill say the team is focusing on being? It would be a serious jump from what was there in 2025-26.

Let’s get into it.

Sam Merrill On Cavs Defense

Talking to the media on Wednesday, Sam Merrill didn’t mince words about the hopes he has for the Cavs defense.

“You know, I want us to get back to being a top five defense… that’s been most of our discussion throughout this camp… Lines are going to be different offensively so this may take a little time… we want to play at a pace like every team, right? Quick decisions, just getting to the next level, defensively, that’s our focus right now.”

Sam Merrill says getting back to being a top 5 defense has been the main focus for the #Cavs pic.twitter.com/qWKSDHpvPf
— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) October 7, 2026

It’s a very attainable goal for this Cleveland team to be a top-five defense in the league. The length and size of the frontcourt make them extremely dangerous, as this is not the small team that it has looked like over the previous couple of years.

The teams that make the most noise in the playoffs aren’t the flashy offenses. It’s the guys who get the stops on the other end who put the focus on things happening on defense. What didn’t happen against the Knicks for 3.5 games was a defensive focus.

It’s clearly a priority this time around, and this is what fans of a team hopeful for a championship are trying to hear.

Merrill himself has proven to be one of the best charge takers in the association, and has been able to guard players far bigger than him with comfort during his time with the Cavaliers.

Cavs Defensive Ranks Under Kenny Atkinson

Cleveland was right in the middle of the pack in points allowed last year. They sat at 15th, while possessing the #4 offense in the association. That includes the poor start to the year as well, so the in-season improvement makes it look that much better.

In 2024-25 under Kenny Atkinson, the team led the NBA in points scored. They were #12 in points allowed, and that’s while finishing #1 in the East and going 64-18. There was certainly a bit of a dip, so the hoped-for correction now will be a real improvement.

Sam Merrill will be at the forefront of the second unit, handling business defensively. Atkinson’s rotations will provide more size, with guys like Mario Hezonja and Thomas Bryant/Nae’Qwon Tomlin getting some looks out there. He’s done well enough with the group to remain at the helm for year three, and things could really blossom. The city of Cleveland has shown love to him all offseason.

If Cleveland truly wants to be an elite team in a super-crowded Eastern Conference, they’ll have to get after it on the defensive end of the ball. So, let’s see if Merrill’s hopes for the team and what they’ve been working on will pay off when it matters.

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