Cavaliers: Lamar Stevens making presence known with defense and leadership

CLEVELAND — He's a classic overachiever. Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens' stature is growing by leaps and bounds. He's barged his way into the starting lineup at small forward and has taken over the role of defensive stopper. That phrase is a bit of a misnomer in the NBA, as players are too talented to be completely stopped. However, Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff said he knows Stevens will make his opponent work hard for everything. That was the case Saturday night in a 110-102 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Stevens hounded Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and limited him to a game-high 23 points — about eight under his average. Interestingly enough, the Cavs will see the league's leading scorer, Dallas guard Luka Doncic at 32.9 ppg, on their upcoming road trip Wednesday and Bickerstaff will likely assign Stevens to guard him as well. "I though he did a really good job," Bickerstaff said. "He made him take difficult shots. We learned our lesson in the first half when we allowed him to get to the free throw line. We were undisciplined going for all those pump takes and ball fakes and giving him advantages. We did a much better job in the second half of making him take shots over the top." Gilgeous-Alexander had a season-low 13 field goal attempts. "They switched one through five on him, which really threw off our offense," Oklahoma City coach Mark Daigneault said. "He's been roasting the league for a month and a half now. Teams are going to study and adjust and figure out the best game plan. You have to counter punch. They had a good plan and executed it well." It certainly doesn't hurt that Stevens is starting to contribute offensively. He had 10 points, seven rebounds and three steals against the Thunder while making 2-of-5 3-pointers. Stevens said he wants the Cavs (17-10) to "get back to our identity of playing defense, rebounding and making our opponents uncomfortable." Even though he's a former undrafted free agent who doesn't have a big contract, he's not afraid to speak up in timeouts and huddles. "I want to keep everyone focused," Stevens said. "I try to reengage everybody to what our game plan is and remind them so that there are no mistakes and everyone is on the same page." Everyone has a voice on the team. "I think we're building something special," Stevens said. "To have everybody to feel comfortable to voice their opinions and be receptive to that. I feel that doesn't happen often." Power forward Evan Mobley, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds against the Thunder, said Stevens plays a large role on the team. "He has a dog mentality," Mobley said. "He brings energy. He's getting better every game." Mobley said Stevens keeps everyone in check. "He's not going to lie to you," he said. "He tells you (how) it is. You either take it or you don't. I feel that's what a great leader does and what he brings to the table for us." Tough stretch The Cavs are in a stretch of playing six games in nine days. They travel to San Antonio to face the Spurs at 8:30 tonight and the Mavericks at 9 p.m. Wednesday. "You have to be really conscious of what you're doing on your off days," Bickerstaff said. "Obviously, back-to-backs are tough on everybody. The guys have to get their treatment and the rehab stuff. "Also, your brain needs to be down some, as well. You're always in that competitive mode that can be exhausting as well. Our guys are prepared for it. This is something you prepare for in September. It's a mindset. Fatigue is not an excuse and that's our guys' motto right now." Big man The Thunder placed 6-9 Darius Bazley on Cavs point guard Darius Garland in the fourth quarter. "(Bazley's) defense was loud," Daigneault said. "His length on Garland was particularly impactful. He was denying Garland up the floor. That threw their offense out of rhythm. That forced them to beat us with Plan B, which they did on a couple possessions. He was a big-time catalyst during that stretch." Contact Bob Finnan at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on Twitter.