Last night against the Indiana Pacers, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a chance to do something they haven’t done in a while, win.  However, the Cavs inability to defend the three point shot (something that they are historically bad at doing) cost them this game.  With 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter, the Cavs found themselves up two points.  In those remaining 5 minutes the Pacers hit 3 shots from the field, and all three were three pointers off of defensive mistakes:

Three 1 – Slow Rotation

As the Pacers run their offense, Christian Eyenga is covering Danny Granger on the weakside.  Eyenga does what he is supposed to in terms of help for the most part, but once Mike Dunleavy Jr. gets the basketball on the wing, Eyenga starts to ball watch a little to much.  So when Dunleavy Jr. pump fakes to Roy Hibbert on the block, Eyenga bites a bit on that.  That split second delay is what gives Granger that space to take and make the three pointer.

Three 2 – Lost In Transition

On this three, the Cavs simply lose Mike Dunleavy Jr. in transition.  The biggest culprit is Anthony Parker.  As Darren Collison brings up the basketball, Parker starts backpedaling instead of sprinting back to the front of the rim.  By the time that Parker realizes his man responsibility is on the opposite side of the court, it is too late, and the Pacers get another three pointer.

Three 3 -

This final three was definitely the backbreaker for the Cavs, and it was the play most indicative of what’s wrong with the Cavs’ three point defense:

The play starts with the Pacers running a set with their two bigs setting screens at the elbow for Darren Collison.  Collison chooses to use Granger’s screen and starts to drive to the basket.

This play is a pick and pop with a pick and roll (with Hibbert setting that screen) attached to the tail end of it.  Granger makes the catch and uses the Hibbert screen to attack the rim.  This forces Jamison to correctly sink into the paint and provide help on the roll man.  Once Josh McRoberts sees Jamison sink into the paint, he cuts along the baseline.

McRoberts’ cut actually makes things a whole lot easier for the Cavs’ rotation.  Now, Sessions only has a short distance to cover to rotate to his new responsibility, McRoberts.  Sessions proper rotation means that Darren Collison is going to be wide open.

So that means that someone has to rotate over to him.  That man rotating needs to be J.J. Hickson, who was the hedge man on the pick and roll.  Instead, Hickson gets caught ball-watching, looking at what is going on in front of him.

Granger makes a good pass to Collison, and Hickson tries to get back to challenge the shot, but it is too late, and Collison knocks down the shot.  Here is the play in real time:

The biggest problem that I have seen with the Cavs’ three point defense is that they rarely finish off rotations. The final three pointer that the Pacers made last night was a perfect example of what the Cavs seem to do wrong every single time.