As Jamison Adjusts, Cavs Must Become Defensive

Filed under: Cavaliers

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio -- The most obvious move the Cleveland Cavaliers will make as they attempt to stop their longest losing streak in two years?



Move Antawn Jamison into the starting lineup.



This is no great surprise. Jamison was acquired to provide points and scoring, and he did not seem comfortable coming off the bench in his first two games.



What's more important as the Cavs try to stop a three-game losing streak is that they regain their mojo. And that is to re-establish themselves as a top defensive team.



That they do it while working Jamison into the lineup makes it a little more challenging, but not impossible.



Under Mike Brown, the Cavs are a defense-first team. His teams have won 45 games every year he's been coach -- and 66 last season -- because of defense. Well ... because of LeBron James and defense.



The past three full seasons, teams have shot 43, 45.5 and 44.8 percent against the Cavs and scored 91.4, 96,7 and 92.9 points per game. The emphasis has drawn criticism from those who say the Cavs offense is not efficient, but Brown arrived as a defensive coach and he remains a defensive coach.

 

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Full story at http://nba.fanhouse.com/2010/02/22/as-jamison-adjusts-cavs-must-become-defensive/