Two Cavaliers have set the tone on defense during the recent rise with key players missing

 

When Darius Garland and Evan Mobley were lost for a minimum of a month on Dec. 15, the NBA world was stunned, with fans and opposing teams asking multiple questions. First and foremost: Who would the Cavs start in the point guard role for Garland, and who could bring a defensive presence to support Jarrett Allen inside with Mobley out?

The answers came swiftly as the Cavs ushered in a new starting lineup that they’ve stuck with, and it has paid dividends.

Donovan Mitchell became de facto point guard, Max Strus moved back into his primary role of shooting guard, Isaac Okoro slid in at small forward, Dean Wade stepped in for Mobley, and Jarrett Allen stayed at the five spot.

The offense has soared with this new lineup. This unit is tied for the third-best point production lineup the Cavs have put on the floor this year.

But it wouldn’t have been possible without Okoro and Wade taking their defensive roles to heart and guarding the opposing team’s best players on a nightly basis. Neither player is known for their offense, but their defense has led to consistent offense while stifling opponents.

Okoro and Wade both put on a defensive display in the Cavs’ latest blowout of the Bucks, showcasing exactly how proficient the defense is with them guarding prolific scorers.

“I think their duties became even tougher because Giannis [Antetokounmpo] came out,” Mitchell said. “It became more so Khris (Middleton) and more so (Damian Lillard). And for Isaac and Dean to step up the way they have, that’s huge, that’s big time, it was a big reason, as to why we were able to push the break.”

Okoro has spent more time guarding Lillard than any other player besides Jalen Brunson and Coby White this season. In those two matchups against Lillard, Okoro has held him to 4 of 15 shooting and 1 of 6 from 3-point range.

“He doesn’t get enough credit for what he does night in, night out, especially on a high-talent person like Damian Lillard,” Allen said of Okoro.

And on Wednesday, Wade held Middleton to just two points on 1 of 10 shooting. Of players who’ve played in at least 30 games this season, Wade ranks fourth in defensive rating (105.4) behind Seth Curry, Rudy Gobert and Patrick Beverly.

“I think they set the tone,” coach J.B. Bickerstaff said of Okoro and Wade. “I mean, obviously, we know what Dame and Khris are capable of, but I thought our guys came out and were very pointed. They were physical without fouling, but it was one of those things where they took individual challenges, but the people around them were in the support positions as well. So I thought our team defense to start the game was elite.”

Mitchell and Allen have been allowed to play free safety, with Allen helping on anything that goes into the paint and Mitchell reading passing lanes and using his long arms and high IQ to corral the second-most steals per game in the NBA just behind the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And of players who’ve played at least 30 games this season, Mitchell is second in defensive win shares, behind only Gobert.

Over the last 14 games since Garland and Mobley’s injury announcement, the Cavs have the third-best defensive rating in the league. In that span, they also lead the league in defensive rebound percentage and opponent second-chance points. They have the best defensive rating (110.8) in the last 10 games.

The Cavs began the season as a defensive-minded team, and they’ve stuck to it even as their offense has grown. Players like Strus and Allen have contributed heavily on the defensive end of the floor as well. Of players who’ve played in each of the last 14 games, Strus, Allen, and Wade all crack the top 10 in defensive rating, while Strus and Allen are first and third, respectively, in defensive win shares.

As the saying goes, defense leads to offense, and over the last 14 games, the Cavs have the sixth-best offensive rating (121.3), leading to the third-best net rating (10.5) in the NBA over that period.

Tied for the second-best record in the league (11-3) over the previous 14 games, the Cavs have portrayed the ability to prove doubters wrong and maintain success on both ends of the floor, even without two key starters.

“We miss Darius and Evan immensely,” Bickerstaff said. “They’re going to be a huge part obviously of what we do moving forward. But this team historically has always banded together when its backs pinned against the wall. And to a man, you see guys, just continue to step up, and the way we’re playing, this is a together team. Nothing we do is based on the individual, or no one is thinking about themselves.”