Is it mere coincidence that the Cavaliers have suddenly begun to play better defense now that he is out of the lineup with a dislocated finger?
Zydrunas Ilgauskas has seen more than his share of vultures circling over his head during his career and overcome them, so nobody should shrug off his presence on this team. His perseverance, his offensive skill and his league-leading offensive rebounds-per-game average all command respect and rightfully place him among the game's top pivotmen.
But nobody can get around the fact Z is slow and plays at a plodding pace at both ends of the floor. When he lags on a defensive rotation, the whole defense suffers. Slow (or no) rotation of defensive assignments is the number one cause of uncontested layups and dunks against the Cavs' defense the past two months.
Robert Traylor is eight inches shorter and decidedly less nimble than Ilgauskas with the ball in his hands. But the Tractor has brought energy that Ilgauskas simply hasn't mustered in the second half of the season. Granted, Ilgauskas has been getting physically pounded in the paint trying to rebound the many, many bricks Cavs shooters have hoisted onto the rim this year. That, combined with an early-season case of insomnia are probably contributing to his fatigue.
Z brings talent, and for the first half of the season, he and LeBron James made this team go. But right now, the Cavs need energy. They need a sense of urgency to try and fend off Philadelphia and New Jersey and get into the playoffs. It seems implausible even now, but maybe at the moment, the Cavs need Traylor's energy more than Z's skill.
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