The NBA’s tempo is hitting warp speed-and right now, the Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling to keep up. Transition defense, or the lack thereof, has become a glaring issue for Cleveland early this season, and head coach Kenny Atkinson isn’t sugarcoating it.
“Very concerned,” Atkinson said when asked about the Cavs’ ability to get back in transition. “It’s a high-paced league, and part of stopping that is getting back on defense.”
He’s not wrong. The Cavs have been exposed by teams that thrive in the open floor-Chicago, Atlanta, and Toronto have all taken advantage of Cleveland’s inability to slow things down after a change of possession.
The low point came in their recent loss to the Hawks, where they surrendered a staggering 36 fast-break points. That’s not just a crack in the armor-that’s a full-on breach.
Since November 10th, the numbers haven’t been kind. Cleveland ranks 23rd in points allowed in transition per 100 possessions, 19th in opponent transition frequency, and 25th in opponent points per transition play, per Cleaning the Glass.
In today’s NBA, transition opportunities are gold-efficient, high-percentage chances that can swing momentum in seconds. When you can’t stop them, you’re giving away easy buckets.
And here’s the kicker: it’s not just the usual culprits like turnovers or long rebounds leading to these run-outs. The Cavs are even getting burned after their own made shots. That’s the kind of thing that keeps coaches up at night.
“We had multiple clips of getting them out sprinting us, and that bothers you as a coach,” Atkinson said after the Atlanta game. “We’ve got to improve because I don’t think it’s slowing down, this league, it’s not going back the other way.”
He’s spot on. The league’s trending faster, not slower.
Teams are pushing the pace at every opportunity, and opposing coaches are already circling Cleveland’s transition defense as a soft spot to exploit. That’s the reality of a copycat league-once a weakness shows up on film, everyone starts attacking it.
So where do the Cavs go from here? The answer lies in slowing the game down and forcing opponents into half-court sets-something this team is far better equipped to handle.
That’s where Evan Mobley, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, becomes a game-changer. His ability to anchor the defense, switch onto guards, and erase mistakes at the rim gives Cleveland a fighting chance when they’re set defensively.
But that’s the key-they have to get set. That starts with better communication, quicker recognition, and a collective effort to sprint back, not jog. Because right now, teams are running the Cavs out of the gym before they’ve even had a chance to dig in.
The good news? It’s still early.
The bad news? The league isn’t going to wait for Cleveland to figure it out.
If the Cavs want to be taken seriously in the East, they’ll need to clean up their transition defense-and fast. Otherwise, this season could get away from them just as quickly as their opponents are getting down the floor.