NEW YORK: He said it with disdain in his voice, the defensive coach for so many years acknowledging what has become apparent through the first quarter of this season. The Cavs’ identity is built on their offense right now, nothing else.
Tyronn Lue is trying to turn that. The defensive effort was evident in Wednesday’s 126-94 dismantling of the New York Knicks, the second time in as many games the Cavs remembered their defensive principles. The offensive explosion with this team is always looming and surfaced again Wednesday with a season-high 22 3-pointers. The defensive effort comes and goes.