The Cavaliers fell to the Pacers on Wednesday night, marking the fifth time already this season that they’ve lost to a team projected to have a losing record. The Cavs, who lost early in the season to Orlando, have now been beaten by the Nets, Pelicans, Knicks, and Pacers in their last four games.
As Dave McMenamin of ESPN details, the club held an “air-it-out” meeting earlier this week to address its poor start. The reaction to that meeting at the time was positive, with one source describing it to McMenamin as “very productive,” but it seemed to have little effect on Wednesday, with the Pacers beating the Cavs by 17 points.
Although he didn’t express much concern about Cleveland’s first few losses, LeBron James was more perturbed by the club’s latest loss, McMenamin writes in another article for ESPN.com. Admitting that he hoped things would change now that “it’s a new month,” James had trouble explaining why exactly the Cavs are struggling so much.
“We have an opportunity to be very good and then you see some of the lulls that we have and it’s just very difficult on our team right now,” James said. “We’re just trying to figure it out on the fly. … So, our team is kind of depleted as well, both on and off the floor.”
The team has been impacted by injuries in the early going. Isaiah Thomas is out for at least a couple months while he recovers from a hip issue, Iman Shumpert is sidelined with knee soreness, Derrick Rose has missed some time, and Tristan Thompson is expected to miss up to a month after suffering a calf injury on Wednesday.
The Cavs’ slow start can also be attributed to poor defensive play. As Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com relays, players and coaches felt like they were playing tougher D on Wednesday, but the team still remains at or near the bottom of the NBA in several defensive categories. Teams are making 14.0 three-pointers game at a 41.8% clip so far against the Cavs, who have a defensive rating of 111.3. All of those figures are NBA worsts.
We’ve seen the Cavs get off to sluggish starts before, but the current losing streak – four straight games by 63 combined points – is the worst of James’ NBA career. And, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net (via Elias), no team has reached the NBA Finals after starting 3-5 since the 1990/91 Lakers (Twitter link).
What do you think? Is this just a blip on the radar for the Cavs as they get accustomed to their new-look roster, or is this slow start a harbinger of things to come this season? Vote below in our poll and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts!
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I think they’ll be ok and will make the playoffs and make a run like every year but it’s still cause for concern because if they keep it up and don’t turn it around Lebron is for sure gone.
I don’t see this turning around for a bit with all the injuries, and if the Cavs are sitting around .500 twenty to thirty games into the season, the LBJ rumours will heat up to a point where I could see the team get buried under them for the rest of the year.
If the Cavs are 10-10 or worse after 20 games, then a 45 win season and a 5-6 seed would not surprise me.
LeBron doesn’t have the skillset or energy to carry a team anymore. I honestly believe the spurs would be a great fit for him if he decides the leave the Cavs.
Not with Khwaii and Aldridge!
Why not ? Aldridge could move to the 5 and they could play 4 out 1 in and dominate. Only concern is Aldridge on defense.
You’d better ask Aldridge about that. Lebron handles the ball 30 plus times a game. Not in this senario. The Spurs couldn’t afford him. The Cavs can pay him $40 million, others $30 plus million.
Lebron’s wife and kids have a lot to say about that. Lebron has millions of dollars and a lot of sentiment tied up in Akron. “Cleveland IS his home and he’s not young anymore.” The Warriors aren’t exactly lighting it up now. The Warriors and Cavs aren’t about the regular season, they are about the playoffs.
He should play in Golden State like the Lion-hearted former MVP Kevin Durant.
When things get hard, blame your point guard and join the best team.
That’s the KD Way.
Lol that is the KD way
Heres what I saw in the IND game:
1. LBJ hides and rests on D, often guarding Corey Joseph (who wasn’t initiating anything) or Bogdanovic. The impact is that Oladipo & Collison broke down the D every single time, LBJ is forced to rescue every D possession and there is zero interior presence. So to recap: there’s no D at the point, there’s no D on the wings or at the high Post, and there’s no D at the rim.
2. I saw terrible effort. Watching the high P&R up top, D.Rose avoids all contact, ducks under every pick (perhaps he’s coached to do that) whilst the hedge man barely makes a difference. That left Oladipo & Collison wide open.
3. I saw a lot of ball watching, which led to back door cuts and simple lobs.
4. CLE made up for their below-average D last year, with supreme confidence (as returning champs, you’d expect that) and near-flawless offensive execution for long stretches. This year, the confidence is gone (having your ass kicked in the Finals will do that), and the reinforcements (D.Wade, D.Rose, J.Green, J.Calderon) are all below replacement level in value. DWade’s legs are shot, DRose is playing for his next contract and won’t risk injury, J.Green is remarkably still in the NBA and Calderon looks like a fuzzy golem. They create NOTHING on O — D Rose makes one pass, and the ball goes up. Or D.Rose gets trapped in the lane and has to search for LBJ to bail them out and that leads to 21-foot jumpers. They don’t set very good screens so the famed shooters from last year now have hands in their faces.
So “concern” is the wrong question. The Question is “Where does Improvement Come From?” And Isaiah will help on O, but unless he’s absolutely 100% and playing like he did last year, it won’t make a huge dent in the Win column.
As a cavs fan I’m a little nervous. I think it’s possible they won’t be the 1 seed but I think they will make it to the finals again, just won’t win it if the warriors are there
Don’t forget the Cavs had a losing record the 2nd half of last season. They have Tristan and Isaiah out now. They’ll be fine when they some back. Lebron always kicks it up in playoffs. They do this every years. Ask David Blatt about it!
The Warriors are playing just like the Cavs right now. I don’t think anyone is betting on anybody to beat the Warriors!!!!
The Cavs see the first half of the season as their spring training. So no.
I would have voted for the option that, the Cavs barely qualify, but do win a couple series.
They’re soft inside and not closing out.
James, Smith, & Shumpert at least, have not been physically right all season. James of course does well anyway, Shumpert will likely be more active, IT will return, Love will eventually get used to center, and Smith should just be released. Overall there should be some bounceback when thet get used to each other.
They should have taken Melo in the second window, for TT + ?. Melo is not slumping.
I agree!
Just realized, the Cavs have FIVE PGs (including James)– and all of them are in a contract year! PG is not the position to have contract year players because of the need to be unselfish. But Thomas and Rose are famously looking for a payday, while Calderon and Wade are trying to stay alive. James should not be playing PG IMO even if he can.
The reason Kyrie wanted out was because Lebron won’t give up his PG role (he is doing well with it in Boston, the Cavs miss him bad). Kyrie was having to play off the ball. Love’s numbers haven’t changed. Many thought it was Kyrie that was holding him back! They should have set Lebron and Kyrie and told Lebron to let him handle the ball.