C.J. McCollum has a theory about the Cleveland Cavaliers fluctuating defense.
The Portland Trail Blazers guard ripped the Cavs’ defense Tuesday on his podcast, “Pull Up with CJ McCollum,” before explaining why he believes they’re still contending for the NBA championship.
The Cavs allowed 109.9 points per game during the regular season, the NBA’s fifth-worst average, and McCollum believes their roster upheaval was the biggest factor.
“Cleveland is one of the worst defensive teams I’ve ever played against, honestly,” McCollum said, as transcribed by SLAM online’s Ryne Nelson. “I think it’s just the spacing. They have a lot of players on their roster throughout the season, so terminologies not the same, the continuity isn’t always there.
“Think about how many players they’ve had on their roster the last 3 or 4 years. They’re literally in-and-out, new guys every year. So, it’s hard to be on a string and be united as one when you have all that uncertainty on, ‘Hey, if things don’t go well, I might get shipped out.’ ”
However, the Cavs are making another deep run in the NBA playoffs, largely due to their increasing defensive prowess. Opponents are averaging just 101.7 points per game against Cleveland in 15 contests, a reduction of 8.2 points per game from the regular season. McCullum credits the team’s improvement to the continuity the playoffs provide.
“So, I think that’s one of the reasons why their defense has been up and down,” he said. “But then when it’s time to lock in and focus on one team, their defense is a lot better.”
The Cavs will face the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night at TD Garden in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals.
