On their coronation night, the Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans had a bucket of cold water splashed into their exuberant, celebratory faces. The New York Knicks, and first year head coach Derek Fisher, and small slices of the triangle offense, plus a lot of Carmelo Anthony, shocked the NBA world by going into Cleveland and ruining their opening night Lebron James love fest. It hardly seemed possible because the night before the Knicks were dismantled by the Chicago Bulls and their big front court. But if the Cavaliers have one weakness it is their size up front. Everyone plays small. Anderson Varajao, Tristan Thompson, Kevin Love, no one dominates inside the paint, either on offense or defense.
Oct 8, 2014; Hartford, CT, USA; New York Knicks head coach Derek Fisher watches from the sideline as they take on the Boston Celtics in the second half at XL Center. The Celtics defeated the New York Knicks 106-86. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
The Miami Heat were small inside too. But their guards were so explosive on the defensive end that it didn’t matter; they created turnovers before the ball had a chance to get inside and do damage. The Cavaliers guards are not what we call defensive minded. Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters are scorers. No one on the Cavs matched the Knicks energy. The Knicks just played harder then the Cavs. Besides, Carmelo Anthony was on their side.
Lebron James was particularly dazed. He had 8 turnovers. It’s not clear who is going to run the offense, Lebron or Kyrie. Lebron couldn’t make shots which happens. He passed the ball to abandoned places on the floor which almost never happens. Team chemistry has not yet been established, and that happens too.
But the main thing is the Cavs defense is awful. The Knicks had 30 assists. They shot 54%. The Knicks trotted out Shane Larkin at point guard. They played Cole Aldrich in the middle. They actually trusted J.R. Smith to not be suckered into hero ball. They played Samuel Dalmbert 5 minutes which is 5 minutes longer than any other NBA team would play him. This rag tag group controlled the game to the point that the game was never in doubt even as the Cavs tried their comeback.
So what does that say about Cleveland?
They are small on the inside. They have not established cohesion between their main players. Their defense is a big question mark, they often looked confused. Their coach has never coached in the NBA, this was his first game. So his learning curve is as steep as everyone else. The Cavs have a ways to go to be on the level with the Bulls, even with Lebron James.
What does this say about Derek Fisher’s team?
They are a gritty, bunch who play hard, like to compete, don’t quit, and can handle the big stage. In other words, they are like Derek Fisher himself.