CLEVELANDFor weeks,Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue teased a secret playoff defense that the team was working on in practice but wouldn't reveal until the completion of the regular season.After surrendering 108 points on nearly 50 percent shooting in a Game 1 win over the Indiana Pacers, many were left wondering if any changes had actually been made."We executed our defensive plan,"LeBron Jamessaid. "They hit some big shots."For fans expecting a proverbial switch to be flipped, there appeared to be no such thing.The Pacers shot 49.4 percent from the floor and 45.8 percent from deep, pounding Cleveland for 46 points in the paint and doubling them up in fast-break scoring (10 points to five). The Cavs' defensive rating clocked in at 118.9, a mark that would have ranked eight points behind the Los Angeles Lakers for dead last in the NBA.Heading into Game 2, is Lue's playoff defense merely a fabrication, or have actual changes been made'Calling Their BluffFans and media members weren't the only ones skeptical of the Cavaliers' defensive secrecy. This was a unit that ranked 21st overall in defensive rating and was a putrid 29th since the All-Star break. If there was a better formula to be deployed, why was Lue so insistent on holding back and not showing their hand'"To me, thats a smoke screen, and I wouldnt say that. How could you encourage your players to hold back'" one Eastern Conference scout told Bleacher Report. "I would never say that, and I dont believe it from him. Its not like theyre going to have a magic scheme when the playoffs start."Indeed, there were no special pick-and-roll coverages pulled out of a hat. No improved rim protection appearing out of thin air."Theyre going to be the same team, just with a much better effort," the scout said. "[Lue's] different scheme should be getting back on defense, close out to your man, tighten up on pick-and-rolls. Its not a different scheme; thats what theyre going to do. Theyre going to run much harder in transition because its the playoffs."Despite lacking any magical transformation, the Cavaliers' defensive spirit did seem greatly improved.Kyrie Irving threw himself to the ground diving for loose balls on multiple occasions, one of which led to a James steal and transition slam."Im happy with how emotional we were," James said. "Im happy with the energy and the effort. We played with energy and effort all night. Like I said, they made some big shots and made some big plays. So Im excited about that."While the Pacers still put up strong offensive numbers, there were some adjustments in Cleveland's defense that have inspired hope for the remainder of the postseason.Assignments, Coverages and No Shump'James and Paul George represent the best small forward postseason matchup the NBA has to offerif only they were actually guarding one another.Lue has elected to use J.R. Smith on George and have James contain shooting guard Monta Ellis instead. This isn't a groundbreaking strategy, of course, as the Cavaliers have chosen to give James easier covers all season long to protect his offensive stamina."[Indiana] tried to run LeBron around a lot our last game here," Lue said, referring to a 135-130 double-overtime win in which George dropped 43. "To save his legs and his energy so hes able to play offensively and do the things he does, J.R. took the challenge and did a great job."Using Smith to guard the opponent's best player is a gamble Lue seems OK with. He's referred to the 31-year-old as the team's best wing defender, even if he's prone to the more-than-occasional mental lapse.George ended with 29 points on 9-of-19 shooting, numbers the Cavs can live with given Indiana's lack of sidekick scoring options.One nice adjustment Lue made was the team's assignments when switching onto George following various pin-down sets the Pacers run to free him up. James and Tristan Thompson engaged in a sideline screaming match during that double-overtime game, arguing over where the other needed to be during these plays.Lue made sure there was no debate this time."Coach gave us coverages for those pin downs. We [as a team] watched a lot of film. Guys individually watched a lot of film. Paul George and C.J.s [Miles] pin downs are a big part of their offense, and thats how they get threes," Thompson said.One noticeable absence from the rotation was guard Iman Shumpert. After averaging 25.5 minutes in 76 games (31 starts) this season, it was strange to see Shumpert not receive any run.Lue didn't say for sure that he wouldn't play in the series, but the coach chose to praise other members of the second unit instead."Playoffs is just a game of everyone having to stay ready," Lue said. "Tonight, it hurt me that I didnt get Shumpin there, but R.J. [Richard Jefferson] came in early, and he played well. We got him in early for Kevin [Love], and it was just kind of the flow of the game with rotations. He has to stay ready. Everyone has to stay ready, and well just see what happens.It's worth noting that Shumpert has been absolutely dreadful offensively the past few months. After shooting 40.3 percent from three before the All-Star break, his outside stroke has plummeted to 25.3 percent after.Following the game, Shumpert went straight to the practice court for a workout without changing out of his uniform. He appeared in the locker room approximately 30 minutes after the game had ended and most others had showered and dressed.A healthy, focused Shumpert can be a terrifying perimeter defender. The fact that he didn't play a single minute may be more indicative of where he is offensively at this point. If he starts making shots again, Lue has yet another defensive weapon up his sleeve.While the secret defense didn't live up to the hype, it was clear the Cavaliers certainly made steps in the right direction.Stats viaBasketball ReferenceandNBA.comand are accurate through April 16.Greg Swartz is the Cleveland Cavaliers Lead Writer for Bleacher Report.
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