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Cleveland Cavaliers’ Unlikely Defensive Dominance Led By Timofey Mozgov

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Timofey Mozgov Cleveland Cavaliers

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Before the 2014-15 NBA regular season began, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked to be a team that would have to outscore opponents to win games. For the first part of the season, this was the case as players such as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love led the Cavaliers’ offense. However, Cleveland then traded for Timofey Mozgov in early January, and the team’s core competency slowly began to shift to the other side of the floor.

Today, the Cavaliers own the best defensive rating among the 16 playoff teams at 98.1, an almost unfathomable improvement from their 20th-ranked regular season defense. It is a turnaround that can be attributed largely in part to Mozgov’s addition to Cleveland’s roster.

Although Mozgov has only blocked 1.2 shots per game with Cleveland, it has been his ability to alter shots which has facilitated the Cavaliers’ success defensively in the painted area. During this year’s postseason, the only player who has defended the rim at as much as Mozgov and has done a better job is Anthony Davis, who held opponents to only 33.3 percent shooting at the rim. Mozgov is not far behind as opponents are shooting only 37.2 percent on the Cavaliers’ starting center.

Mozgov’s defensive effectiveness is easily observable on the Cavaliers’ defense as a whole. In their previous series against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers tallied a 96.5 defensive rating with Mozgov on the court. However, with him off the court, this number ballooned to an astounding 118.9, an increase of over 22 points allowed per 100 possessions. Although Cleveland’s offensive struggles are more notable when Mozgov is on the court, his defensive skills still make him a positive contributor.

With a possible matchup with the high-scoring Golden State Warriors on deck, Mozgov and the Cavaliers will have to maintain this level of defense to win an NBA championship. The Warriors will certainly test the interior defense of the Cavaliers as Golden State has averaged over 42 points per game inside the paint in the postseason.

Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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