5 things Cleveland Cavaliers must do to make NBA Finals

2. Get reps together

The Cavs have played impressively since the trade, but the team must get reps together in order to build strong habits.

What do I mean by this?

The Cavaliers are 28th in defensive rating, which isn’t indicative of championship defense. Typically, title contenders live somewhere in the top 10.

Since Nance, Clarkson and Hill have been on the roster, the Cavs have played two very good offensive teams in Oklahoma City and the Boston Celtics, and through that two game stretch, they rated 13th defensively, according to NBA.com. The sample size is insanely small, but you get the point.

The new young bodies are supposed to make the Cavs better. Hill can chase guards around the perimeter. Nance can defend the pick-and-roll, like Tristan Thompson used to do. LeBron is an elite defender when he chooses to be. Heck, even J.R. Smith has tried the past couple of contests. Yes, effort makes a difference!