The Cavs' defensive woes have been an issue just about all season — but coach Tyronn Lue doesn't seem concerned.
"We'll probably do things [on defense] we haven't done all season when it comes to the playoffs, things we've been working on all year," Lue told Cleveland.com. "It's the same thing we do every playoffs."
MORE: 2018 NBA playoff schedule
If that mantra sounds familiar, that's because it's a similar message Lue gave last season in March when the Cavs were struggling on the defensive end to close the season.
"We've got to hold back. We can't show our hand early because ... these are some good teams and we don't want them to be able to come into a series and be able to adjust to what we do," Lue explained to Cleveland.com ahead of last year's playoffs.
True, the Cavs go through defensive struggles every season, but it seems like Cleveland has truly hit a new low. The Cavs have a defensive rating of 109.5, second-worst in the league. The only team with a worse defensive rating is the Phoenix Suns, who clinched the worst record in the NBA.
NBA teams that coast during the regular season with the hopes of flipping the proverbial switch in the playoffs often crash out against a team that's been playing at full throttle for 82 games.
But those teams don't have LeBron James, who helped navigate the defensively porous Cavs through the Eastern Conference playoffs last season with ease — and will likely do it again.