Feb 20, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Rasual Butler (8) shoots the ball over Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) in the third quarter at Verizon Center. The Cavaliers won 127-89. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Interior Defense Has Been Addressed
With all due respect to what Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith bring to the table for the Cleveland Cavaliers, their biggest in-season addition has been Timofey Mozgov. He’s been all of the rim protector the Cavs expected him to be — and then some.
After losing Anderson Varejao for the season due to injury, this team was left scrambling, hoping that another capable big would fall into their laps. And that’s exactly what happened when the Denver Nuggets willingly sent Mozgov to Cleveland in the form of two first-round draft picks.
Among starting centers, Mozgov is 7th in the NBA in opponents field goal percentage at the rim, at 47.4 percent. He’s also averaging nearly 1.5 blocks per game with the Cavaliers. Even just his 7-foot frame helps clog the lane, preventing opposing guards from invading the paint. That in itself helps the team’s all-around defense.
Since Jan 13, the Cavaliers have the 10th best defensive rating in the NBA. And Mozgov has been a huge part of that.
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