Lue shames Cavs for lazy defense with grueling film session

The honeymoon phase is definitely over for the reigning champions.

After losing their last three games to the Bulls, Clippers, and Bucks, Tyronn Lue subjected the Cleveland Cavaliers to a lengthy film session before practice Sunday morning.

The focus was defense - Lue showed about 80 clips of the team's negligent defense from its losing streak.

"We're an older team, we don't have the best one-on-one defenders," Lue told Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. "We've got to be better as far as scheme-wise helping our teammates, recovering, making the multiple effort.

"We had kind of gotten away from that so today we showed them so film, for the guys it was good for them to see it. They were pretty embarrassed by it, and then today we went to work on it."

The Cavaliers have proven capable of locking down opponents, but in their last six games, they've given up an average of 111 points. By defensive rating, Cleveland ranks 19th league-wide and 11th in the East.

The drop-off in defense has also allowed the surging Toronto Raptors, who the Cavaliers play Monday, to move into a tie for first in the East through the quarter mark of the season.

LeBron James backed up Lue and said the team had a "hell of a practice" after the film session.

"The process is what should drive you," James said. "For me, it's part of my motivation is the process and every day you have to work it. Like I said, last year is last year. We had an unbelievable accomplishment, but that's in the past now. You have to be able to motivate yourself."