Insider Gets Honest About Major Cavaliers Playoff Concern

The Cleveland Cavaliers have positioned themselves well for a deep playoff run by clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 64-win season.

Now they look to carry over the momentum of a historic campaign into the postseason. As special as the 2024-25 season has been, though, not everything is rainbows and butterflies for the wine and gold.

As Cavaliers Insider Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com pointed out, the Cavs defensive numbers have been on a steady decline since January. It's something that could serve as a critical roadblock to any championship aspirations they may have.

"Since January the Cavs are middle of the pack in defense, like right around middle of the pack" Fedor explained during an interview on 92.3 The Fan's Afternoon Drive on Friday. "That's an extended time, that's three months of basketball to not play to the standard that you hold yourself to.

"[Kenny Atkinson] said basically it's a mentality he wants the guys to have. All the players said it's a mentality that they need to have because they understand how important defense is. They understand how important defense is to winning championships. And they truly believe that that is something that is going to separate them in the playoffs."