Channing Frye says Cleveland Cavaliers look ‘disjointed’ whenever one player is not on the court

Channing Frye says Cleveland Cavaliers look ‘disjointed’ without Lonzo Ball

This offseason, the Cavaliers didn’t make any massive changes to their roster. However, they did sign Lonzo Ball to bolster the point guard position.

Since signing, Ball has already impressed coach Kenny Atkinson. While Ball may not stuff the stat sheet, Frye believes his presence on the court is extremely important for the Cavs.

“When I watched that game [vs Boston], it just looked like the Cavs look disjointed at times. When they don’t look disjointed… when Lonzo ball plays, and it just shows the difference of what a point guard does.

“Lonzo catches, he establishes the pace of the game. He’s kicking this thing around,” Frye said on The Road Trippin’ podcast.

He added: “When other guys get it, they have to catch, they’re looking, and their first thought is, ‘how do I go score?'”

Considering Ball had just 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists off the bench, it proves his impact is not often seen on the stat sheet.

Cleveland Cavaliers lack physicality on the defensive end of the floor, says Channing Frye

NBA fans have witnessed some insane scoring performances from players early in the 2025-26 season.

But at the end of the day, a good defense is extremely important for a championship contender like the Cavaliers. As of now, Frye isn’t seeing that from the Cavs.

“I also feel like they’re still not as physical as I would like them to be defensively. I think DeAndre Hunter does a solid job. I think they’re trying. They’re just not imposing,” Frye stated.

This was proven during the Cavs’ 125-105 defeat against the Celtics as the C’s had no trouble dominating the defense for four quarters.