Five fixes for the Cavaliers

The team to which these Cavs are too often compared -- the 2010-11 Miami Heat -- had underwhelming results (9-8 through their first 17 games) but with sound process. While their execution wasn't as smooth as desired out of the gate, the effort was there, and they still enjoyed a net rating of about 5 points per 100 possessions.

Meanwhile, the Cavs barely score more than they allow (net rating of 0.1) and sleepwalk through their games. They could be 8-5 (instead of 6-7) and the issues would still be the same. As a front office, you're not looking to hit the red panic button so early in the year, but you're kidding yourself if you think this team looks like it is going to figure things out soon.

Here are five fixes the Cavs must address in order to get their season heading in the right direction.

1. Stop talking!

At this point I've tweeted, podcasted and written ad nauseam about this issue. Unequivocally, the most disturbing trend in the early going has been the Cavs' own willingness to reveal intimate details of the difficulties adjusting to one another. As a member of the media, I'm ecstatic about this peek behind the curtain, and the turmoil no doubt provides fodder for "What's wrong with the Cavs" think pieces, but this is not conducive to team-building.

Simply put, every time someone gives quotes, whether on or off the record, illustrating friction within the locker room, the shortcomings of teammates, frustrations with the playbook, etc., the team takes steps away from harmony and success and toward discord and divisiveness. With so many new faces coming together, it is imperative to face the outside world with a unified voice; sure, there's a time and place for "motivating through the media," but the trust has not been built yet.

2. Start talking (on defense)!

No one thought Cleveland would be a defensive juggernaut, and the Cavs haven't "disappointed," ranking in the bottom half of the league in defensive efficiency. A team full of questionable one-on-one defenders was never going to miraculously turn into the '94 Knicks and lock down individually. However, the expectation was that the players would recognize this fact and accept the need to invest the energy and focus required to execute team defensive principles, and that hasn't been the case thus far.

In the above play, Wilson Chandler is coming off a Kenneth Faried pindown; he's guarded by LeBron James, who is approaching the situation with zero urgency (upright position, no effort to lock and trail or push Chandler wide off the screen, no communication). Meanwhile, Kevin Love is playing too far back off, not in position to contest Chandler's shot or even slow down his progress until James can recover (assuming James burned that calorie to begin with). Such a massive breakdown so early in the game for a team that is trying to steady a shaky start to the season is unacceptable.

Another example of poor effort on defense has been in transition. In the play above, the Nuggets are on a four-on-one fast break, featuring two bigs, one of whom is the primary ball handler. Notice the absence of any Cavs defenders in the frame other than the last man back. This has been all too common an occurrence. Against Washington last week, after an errant transition 3-pointer by Dion Waiters, James hung his head and took a few steps in the wrong direction off court, then reluctantly jogged back upcourt. The lack of effort is disappointing, but the poor body language is frightening.

Again, if the Cavs were getting effort from their players but lacked cohesion as a unit, one could surmise that given time, they'd figure it out. The problem is they're getting neither. They've got to start burning calories on the defensive end of the floor consistently.

3. Better distribution of minutes

"Basketball is basketball" was a common refrain heard when Blatt was making his initial media tour after being hired, implying that the game is universal and lack of NBA experience would not be a detriment. For his part, Blatt openly admitted that he'd encounter growing pains, telling me at Summer League, "I'm coming from a different set of rules ... and the best thing I can do is immerse myself in that and take my hits. Nothing earth-shattering, just knowing the rules and what goes and doesn't go."

The growing pains are here in full force, manifesting themselves in the form of Blatt's mercurial rotations and heavy minute workloads placed on his Big 3, with James and Kyrie Irving placing in the top five in the league in minutes per game and Love at 11th. It is natural to lean heavily on your stars, especially in times of turmoil, but one has to wonder if part of this overdependence arises from Blatt's being accustomed to the shorter European game (40 minutes vs. 48 minutes in the NBA), something that coaching in Summer League would not have prepared him for. Similarly, shorting minutes to veterans has created some grumblings, most notably from Shawn Marion and Mike Miller earlier this year. Blatt's got to do a better job divvying up the minutes to keep his stars fresh and keep his vets happy.

4. Trust the offense

Blatt might be behind the eight ball on managing his rotation, but his acumen for drawing up creative offensive sets is as advertised. The problem is the Cavs don't appear to be fully familiar with the objectives of the plays. There are layers to offensive execution: The first layer is simply knowing the play (where to go, when to cut), the second layer is knowing which shots are available out of the primary action and the third layer is knowing secondary and tertiary options out of the set. The Cavs so far are operating at only the first layer, with limited recognition of the opportunities afforded them.

Here, the Cavs run a side out-of-bounds play where the Spurs are opening up in zone. Irving hits Waiters on the left wing and does a UCLA cut off of Anderson Varejao before fading to the right corner. Waiters goes into a side pick-and-roll with Love (bringing Tim Duncan out away from the paint) and swings around the horn to Marion, who swings immediately to Irving in the corner, with Boris Diaw closing out. Irving isolates against Diaw before hitting a contested long-range 2.

Technically, they ran the play. However, the point of the play was not to get a contested jump shot after an iso. Because of the nature of the action (Duncan drawn away, Manu Ginobili closing to Marion, Diaw closing to Irving), Varejao has a wide-open lane to the basket if Irving recognizes it and passes the ball immediately. Even as Duncan has recovered, Love is cutting weakside with inside position, meaning Varejao has the option of making the extra pass or even missing the shot with a high chance of Love recovering the carom. But none of that can happen if Irving does not recognize the shots the play is designed to create.

5. Buy-in and patience

This can be considered a reiteration of everything said before, but the main things needed in Cleveland at the moment are buy-in and patience. Everyone needs to commit to the game plan, both offensively and defensively, and give adequate effort on both ends. There needs to be more of an emphasis on a nightly basis of learning the opponent scouting report, knowing what the objectives are and executing. Finally, everyone -- players, coaches, front office personnel, trainers, etc. -- needs to be patient. It's one thing for James to tell the media to "relax," but he needs to lead the way and be a leader by example ... and not tell us about it.