CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cavs’ playoff run came crashing down against the Indiana Pacers last season, the autopsy revealed an uncomfortable truth: for all their regular-season defensive posturing, the Cavs simply couldn’t guard anybody when it mattered most.
The evidence was damning. As Chris Fedor bluntly put it on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast: “If you make a list of the reasons why the Cavs lost in the Eastern Conference semifinals to Indiana ... What did have a big reason in that loss was the fact that the Cavs couldn’t guard. They had no answers for how to slow down Indiana’s offensive attack.”
This wasn’t just a minor flaw — it was a fundamental failing on the sport’s biggest stage.
Despite finishing the regular season with respectable defensive metrics, Cleveland’s defensive reputation evaporated under the playoff spotlight.
“Against the Indiana Pacers, they were not good enough defensively, not anywhere close to good enough defensively,” Fedor emphasized, highlighting the stark gap between regular-season performance and playoff reality.
The front office’s response this summer has been nothing short of a defensive revolution.
Every move, every signing, every trade has targeted a single goal: transforming a playoff defensive liability into a championship-caliber defensive unit.
Larry Nance Jr., a versatile defender who can guard multiple positions, represents exactly what Cleveland lacked in their playoff collapse. His ability to play alongside either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley gives coach Kenny Atkinson defensive flexibility that was sorely missing last postseason.
But the Cavaliers’ defensive revamp doesn’t stop with Nance. The acquisition of Lonzo Ball might be their most significant defensive upgrade. Despite injury concerns, Ball’s defensive prowess is undeniable.
“Look, Lonzo Ball is the best perimeter defender that the Cavs have. He can make that kind of difference on the defensive end of the floor,” Fedor explained. “You are gaining so much, so much on the defensive end of the floor by replacing the Ty Jerome minutes with Lonzo minutes if, if Lonzo can stay healthy.”
The statistics back up this assessment.
Ball ranks in the 97th percentile of defenders according to defensive estimated plus-minus metrics — elite company that dramatically raises Cleveland’s defensive ceiling.
Even the retention of Sam Merrill over fan-favorite Ty Jerome speaks to this defensive mindset.
While Jerome brought offensive firepower, the podcast revealed that Merrill sits near the 86th percentile defensively — a significant upgrade over Jerome, who was repeatedly targeted in the Pacers series.
What’s particularly telling is how the Cavs have specifically addressed their playoff shortcomings rather than regular-season statistics. As Fedor noted, “This is about can you be an elite level defense in the playoffs against elite level opponents?”
For all the offensive talent on Cleveland’s roster, the front office has made a clear calculation: championship aspirations require playoff-caliber defense.
Last year’s team talked about defense but couldn’t deliver when it counted. This year’s squad has been constructed specifically to correct that fatal flaw.
The message from Cleveland’s front office couldn’t be clearer — regular season accolades mean nothing if you can’t guard anybody in May.
For the Cavaliers, the defensive revolution isn’t just about improvement; it’s about survival in the postseason crucible.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Wine and Gold Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.
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