The Cavs’ defensive woes are on full display during the losing streak

A losing streak can be a wake-up call for any team, regardless of their position in the league. For a champion like him Cleveland Cavaliersdealing with the worst stretch of the season with three straight losses exposed some serious problems. Interestingly, the concern during this slump has not centered on the Cavs’ offense. Instead, their defense raised eyebrows. In fact, even before this three-game slump, the team’s defensive performance had already been inconsistent, highlighting a key area in need of immediate attention.

The Cavs have been mediocre at best over their last ten games. They rank 16 in net rating and 29th in defensive ratingallowing 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Although Cleveland has been elite defensively at times, they have not been able to consistently maintain that elite status.

Over the past ten games, the Cavs have been mediocre at best. They currently ranks 16th in net rating and a a troubling 29th in defensive rating. That second-worst defense means they’re allowing 120.4 points per 100 possessions. While Cleveland has shown elite defensive skills at times this season, they have struggled to consistently maintain that level.

It’s often easy to overlook the Cavs’ defensive woes, especially when their offense dominates opponents. On nights when they are overwhelmingly outscoring teams, those issues can fade from view. However, when Cleveland faces stronger and more athletic teams, their dynamic offense tends to struggle. In these matches, the flaws in their defense become apparent, leaving them vulnerable.

“Our offense was so good, I feel like we just didn’t focus as much or — I don’t know if focused is the word — but just relaxed on the other end,” he said Evan Mobley. “We just have to put more emphasis on the defensive end and increase that piece.”

The Cavs’ defensive problems were on full display against the Rockets

The Houston Rockets, known for running one of the least efficient peninsula offenses in the league with ranking 24 and scoring fouls 93 points per 100 possessionsthey saw a remarkable turnaround when they faced the Cavs recently.

In that game, the Rockets posted an impressive 117.1 offensive rating, putting them in the 94th percentile for half court performance. Notably, this success wasn’t the result of generating easy points off turnovers or fast breaks against the Cavs; instead, the Rockets have excelled at executing their plays in an aspect of the game that they have struggled with all season.

“We’ve got to get better,” Donovan Mitchell said. “We’ve had a lot of success, and I’m not saying we’re complacent, but we haven’t really had a lot of trouble.” So this is good to have. I’d rather—you know I said this after DG missed those free throws—like I’d rather it now than April, June.

“Figure out how to get out of these holes, how to get these wins, and figure it out on a daily basis.” … We are not exaggerating, but we are reacting.”

While Mitchell has every reason to keep his composure, it doesn’t change the reality that Cleveland is struggling defensively. Right now, the Cavs defense ranks 12th in the league with a defensive rating 113.3. This marks a significant drop, as they have consistently finished not lower than the sixth in the past three years. The deterioration in their defensive performances highlights the challenges facing the team this season.

A terrible defensive performance overshadowed Cleveland’s incredible offense against a top-five Houston defense. The Cavs have to swallow a bitter pill after digging themselves out of a hole twice against the Rockets, only to lose both games. Hopefully Cleveland will figure it out because, as Mitchell said, it’s still too early to panic.

However, it’s still fair to worry about the Cavs defensively until they turn things around.