Cavaliers Can't Hold On To Early Lead, Lose to Spurs Again

(Photo by Gregory Shamus/NBAE via Getty Images)

LeBron James just can’t seem to beat the Spurs. 

Coming off a disheartening loss on Monday, the Cleveland Cavaliers (5-5) dropped Wednesday’s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs (7-4), 92-90, giving the Cavs two losses in as many games after winning the previous four.  This is the Spurs’ 10^th straight win over the Cavaliers.

The Spurs came into this game winners of five of their previous six games, and both teams hit the floor ready to play.  After a back and forth first quarter, the Cavs were able to build up an 11-point lead in the second but led by only three heading into the half. 

Tim Duncan paced the Spurs through the beginning stages of this one, taking 10 first-quarter shots.  Duncan finished the game with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Cavs’ Big 3 of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love all struggled, with James scoring only 15 points and Love able to score only 12.  Cleveland was able to stay in the game thanks to Anderson Varejao, who led the Cavaliers in scoring with 23 points on 11-16 shooting, and also pulled down 11 rebounds.  

Tony Parker was a non-factor all game, finishing with only 8 points and 3 assists, but Bris Diaw was able to pick up the slack and facilitate the Spurs' offense.  The versatile big man scored 18 point and dished out 7 assists, with 6 rebounds.

In the second half, both teams traded buckets and leads, and neither team led by greater than five in the fourth quarter.  The Cavs lost their lead for good with 1:39 left in the game.

Cleveland did have a chance to win the game, though.  San Antonio led 92-90 when  Manu Ginobili missed a free throw that was rebounded by Varejao.  Varejao then passed the ball to James, who dribbled the ball off of his leg when attempting to get past midcourt. The ball was picked up by Ginobili, who dribbled out the clock.

Three Things

1. The Offense Still Hasn’t Gelled

We are now 10 games into the season and the Big 3 have only have had one game where all three have played up to their potential.  Now, it’s not realistic to expect 25 points every game from each of the Big 3, but this offense is certainly capable of doing better.  James shot only 6-17 (although he did have nine assists) and Love shot only 4-12.  Love also attempted only four field goals in the first half and took only one shot in the fourth quarter.   The team also committed 16 turnovers.  James, Irving and Love are third, fourth and fifth, respectively, in minutes played this season, and depth will continue to be a problem for the Cavs, so it will be even more important for the offense to roll when the Cavs have James, Irving and Love all on the court together.

2. Interior Defense Continues to be a Problem

Everyone knew that one weakness this team would have coming into the season would be defense, and that showed tonight.  There is no doubt that improvements need to be made on that end of the floor, particularly in the paint.  Far too often the Spurs’ big men were able to get wide-open layups or dunks, especially early on in the game.  Duncan and Boris Diaw had no trouble slicing up the defense with their passing down low and while it may not be a major concern in November, it will be if the Cavs want to be playing in June.  With no real rim protectors on the roster, this may be an area general manager David Griffin should look to address in the coming months before the trade deadline.

3. David Blatt is Continuing to Figure Things Out

After acknowledging that the team came out flat Monday against Denver, Blatt made sure that the Cavs were ready to play at the start of this one.  The game was back and forth to start, but it was obvious that the Cavs had their minds in this one.  The rotation is also a work in progress.  In the second half, rookie Joe Harris came in before Dion Waiters, and Mike Miller didn’t get off the bench at all. It’s still early, but the Big 3 still hasn’t been able to click at the same time and figuring out which combinations of guys produces the best results will be key to having success this season.

Statline of the Night: Boris Diaw.  19 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 3 steals.

While Anderson Varejao certainly deserves credit for his 23 point, 11 rebound night, Diaw was really the engine of San Antonio’s offense tonight.  Tony Parker was taken almost completely out of this game but the Spurs offense was able to hum on thanks to Diaw’s passing from the post and heads up play around the basket.

What’s Next: Nov. 21, on the road against the Washington Wizards, 8 p.m.

Cavs get their first taste of the defending champion Spurs

LeBron James (left) and Tim Duncan (right) will face of for the 33rd time (including playoffs) in their careers

After losing a very winnable game against the Denver Nuggets at home, the Cleveland Cavaliers welcome in the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs into town for their first match-up of the season. Some expect this to be the Finals match-up for this year, and could be the first of many more games these two play this season.

San Antonio Spurs

Record: 6-4, seventh in the Western Conference

Offense: 98.2 (24th)

Defense: 96.0 (4th)

The Good

- Don't let the record fool you; this is one of the best teams in the league. From top to bottom, the Spurs possess one of the best rosters in basketball. Hell, they won the NBA championship last year and didn't lose a single player from last year's roster. Many consider their coach to not only the best in the league, but one of the best all-time. They are the model NBA franchise, and are team that the Cavs are trying to replicate.

- As for their play on the court, they are an extremely good defensive team. As you can see above, their defensive rating ranks fourth in the NBA, and are they are there because they limit second chance opportunities. The Spurs rank first in both defensive rebounding percentage and opponent offensive rebounds per game. Most of their rebounds come off of opponent's 3-pointers, where they rank first in defensive 3-point shooting percentage.

- Offensively, the Spurs aren't near the top overall (they rank 24th in offensive efficiency), but if there is one thing they do well, it's spreading their scoring out. Eight guys average at least 8.0 points per game, and rank third as a team in percentage of field goals assisted on, coming in at 65.0 percent. As we've seen over the course of the year, the Cavs have struggled at limiting open shots, and if the Cavs can't improve their defensive effort, the Spurs will have a field day in Cleveland.

The Bad

- There really isn't much the Spurs do bad, but there are a few things they do that are average. First, they struggle at shooting the ball on offense, ranking 20th in the NBA with a 47.9 percent effective shooting percentage. This is uncharacteristic of the Spurs, for they have ranked in the top two in effective field goal percentage over the last four years. The staple of their offense has been ball movement and taking smart and effective shots (similar to what David Blatt wants). So far, they only do one of those things right.

- The Spurs are not a team that wreaks havoc on opponents, only forcing opponents to have a 13.1 turnover percentage, which ranks 19th in the league. For a Cavs team that is fourth in offensive turnover percentage, this match-up will look to favor Cleveland. If the Cavs can limit their turnovers (they average four less per game in wins compared to losses), then the Spurs will have to rely on forcing Cleveland into shooting a low percentage from the field, which is a hard task in itself.

- For as old as people say the Spurs are (they have the second oldest team in the league), nobody can blame Popovivch for wanting to rest his players. For them, this necessarily isn't a bad thing, but for those who pay money to watch one of the best teams in basketball, it's unfair to them. If Pop decides to rest guys like Tim Duncan or Manu Ginobili, then the Cavs should want to destroy them for trying to win without their best players.

The Matchup to Watch

LeBron James vs. Kawhi Leonard

A battle of the last two Finals MVP's, these two are very contrast in style. James is dominate offensive force who lets people know that he's the best player in the league, while Leonard has been seen as one of the best defensive stoppers in basketball, yet is as quiet as a mouse. This is no knock against either of them, but both of them are two of the better small forwards in the league, each doing it in different ways. Expect these two to go at it on multiple possessions.

The Playlist

Just like Denver, there really aren't too many well-known artists from San Antonio. But, like Denver, they are known for one thing: The Alamo. If you don't know The Alamo, well, shame on you. Anyways, who better to sing a song about it than the legendary Johnny Cash:

Why the Cavs will win

This starts and ends with the defense. If they can get enough stops on that side of the ball, their offense is good enough to overcome a top ranked defense. Also, if they are able to force turnovers and get out in transition, where the Cavs excel, it will be tough for the Spurs to stop them.

Why the Spurs will win

Although they rank in the bottom half in the league in offensive rating, they can still score on you if you don't play any defensive. Ty Lawson was able to destroyed Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Cavs, forcing LeBron to have to guard the speedy point guard. If LeBron is forced to switch to Tony Parker tonight, leaving mismatches for Ginobili and Leonard, the Spurs will look like the offensive juggernaut we are accustomed too.

The Prediction

Spurs 107, Cavs 100

Facing a team who has chemistry unlike any other, expect the Spurs to come in with a chip on their shoulder. Expect Parker and Duncan to have big nights, but the big difference in the game will be Danny Green. Cavs tend to have trouble communicating on the defensive end, leading to wide open shooters for their opponents. It won't be fixed overnight, and I feel that Green will be the guy they continue to leave open, hitting multiple 3-pointers down the stretch.