The Cavaliers used their recently concluded road trip to tune up a defense that is now smothering opponents, and just in time for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s only visit to Quicken Loans Arena on Thursday.
Except the task at hand may have just grown considerably more difficult.
Just as this defense seemed to be hitting its stride, the Cavs might have to learn to juggle again. Iman Shumpert still hasn’t officially been ruled out of Thursday’s game against the Thunder, but his right groin injury sustained Tuesday night seemed serious enough that team officials felt afterward it was unlikely Shumpert would be ready.
There was no update on him by midafternoon Wednesday, however, and an emerging thought was it could be Thursday morning at the team’s shootaround before his status is defined — perhaps offering a glimmer of hope he might be able to play against one of the most potent offenses in the NBA. The Thunder’s 107.6 points per game ranks second in the league behind only the Golden State Warriors and they’re third in the league in shooting.
It seems now Kyrie Irving won’t play regardless of Shumpert’s situation. Irving wrote on his Twitter account Wednesday he will not play Thursday after team officials speculated earlier in the week playing against the Thunder was a possibility. It was always more likely, however, that Irving would make his season debut Sunday against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The most frustrating part of Shumpert’s injury is the timing of it all. The Cavs held the Magic and Celtics to an average of 76.5 points on 35 percent shooting in the two victories. Shumpert played a big role in that, as did the re-emergence of center Timofey Mozgov.
“He’s a guy who just fits our DNA so well,” LeBron James said of Shumpert. “He probably has the best hands in the NBA along with Kawhi Leonard, as far as defensively. His energy level is at an all-time high, he doesn’t go below 100, which is incredible. He brings something fierce, a competitive nature to our team.”
The Cavs overhauled their defense last season following the arrivals of Shumpert and Mozgov and morphed into one of the best units in the league. They showed signs of that again on this trip before Shumpert exited in the fourth quarter Tuesday.
Shumpert and James together can feed off each other defensively and wreak havoc on opposing wings — when they’re engaged. Cavaliers coach David Blatt said after the win at Boston on Tuesday that if any part of James’ game is overlooked, it’s his defense.
That may not have been the best time to point that out, since multiple clips emerged showing James giving up on plays defensively — something he surely would yell at a teammate for doing in games. But overall James has been much better defensively this season than he was last year.
“When me and Shump are on the floor at the same time and we’re guarding the wing, it’s going to be very difficult for wing guys to score,” James said. “It’s going to happen, we understand that; guys are going to make shots. They’re pros.
“But that’s the most important side of the floor that me and Iman take when we’re out on the floor. We talk to each other saying, ‘Let’s see who can get the most stops in a quarter. Let’s see who can get the most stops in a game.’ So we’re competing against each other on the floor, defensively.”
Shumpert’s presence is particularly needed for games against high-powered teams like the Thunder, who have multiple scorers. With no Irving and likely no Shumpert, the Cavs may have to rely on Jared Cunningham to provide defensive help on the perimeter alongside Matthew Dellavedova, who has been slowed in recent days by a sore back.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.