Words by Jason Cordner
Cleveland fans may not be worried about their current position after a 3-4 start, but it’s their efforts on the court that should cause concern. They’re riding a three-game losing streak to teams they should have dismantled easily in Brooklyn, New Orleans and New York.
The Cavaliers are favorites to return to the NBA Finals for the fourth straight season, but their issues continued, particularly on the defensive end.
“What month is this for me? October? I’m not about to go crazy over it right now. It’s too long of a season. I’ve been a part of this way too many times,” Lebron James stated after Sunday night’s 114-95 loss to the New York Knicks.
“Guys are scoring at will against us,” James said. “Our defense is pretty bad right now.”
The Cavs have had no consistent play at the point guard position. Derrick Rose has missed four games with an ankle injury and one wonders with his injury history how many more times this season he’ll miss out. Isaiah Thomas is still not expected back until January, with LeBron having to start at point guard in the game against The Pelicans.
Dwyane Wade struggled mightily in the starting line-up and was moved to run the second-unit offense, resulting in a marginal improvement in his form but no improvement in his team’s fortunes.
Jae Crowder and Tristan Thompson look like shells of their former selves. The good news is that we are still in October and Cleveland have a whole season to fix these issues. The NBA season is marathon not a sprint.
Expect the Cavs to play better but this team has some flaws that could linger, all season long.
