2. Defense
Defensively, the Cavs are going to be in a lot of trouble this season. Cleveland currently ranks 25th in the league in opponents’ points allowed, while the Heat rank 11th. This isn’t a misnomer. As exceptional as the Cavs are on the offensive end of the floor, they have a multitude of players that are incapable of playing solid defense. Both Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters’ perimeter defense is suspect. Their inability to stay in front of the opposition and close out on shooters is not good enough for a top seed in the East. Not to mention power forward Kevin Love, who averaged just .6 blocks last season on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Although the Heat did not end up winning a championship in the 2010-11 season, the reason they finished with the second best record in the East (58-24) and a trip to the NBA Finals was because of their stingy defense. They had a defensive rating of 103.5 (5th out of 30) and had one of the best perimeter defenders the league in Dwyane Wade to go along with one of the best help-side defenders in the league in Chris Bosh. Not to mention both Norris Cole and Mario Chalmers, who are both light years ahead of Irving and Waiters on the defensive end of the floor. Combine that with Luol Deng to supplant the versatile defense of a LeBron James, and the Heat have barely lost a step on that side of the floor.
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