As The Athletic’s Jason Lloyd describes it, if you look at the Eastern Conference standings today, you’ll say they might look “kooky.” In addition to the Cavs making their infamous slow start to the season, a number of Eastern teams with tapered expectations heading to the season have come out the gates with unexpected synergy. For the Cavs, the mission is to stay the course, work through the kinks, and specifically, figure out how to not get burned early in games.
Heading into Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers, LeBron James told Cavs Nation about the setbacks he’s faced this season that he’s next had in his prior 14 training camps.
“I didn’t get an opportunity to do the things I like to do. With the summer I had, I had a set back. It didn’t matter that it was the short preseason or not with the injury I had. I’m not sure, we know the season started earlier, everybody was off rhythm a little bit, but we’re in it now so it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Training camp has always been my favorite point of the season. Sounds weird but getting back into things, get the team going, having that camaraderie, getting back on the floor, getting that system in place. So for implementing what I do with those seven new guys, it hurt.”
James has entered training camp with back and ankle issues before, but he has mentioned the seriousness of this year’s ankle injury a number of times now. Certainly without the team’s focal point for a majority of training camp, focus hasn’t been a given.
Cleveland is certainly struggling on defensive focus, posting the third worst defensive rating just above Golden State but below teams like Phoenix and Brooklyn. Offensively, some players haven’t clicked and few have clicked at the same time.
That said, the Cavs have had a few days since their third consecutive defeat to bond and party to find that camaraderie; James is positive they will.