There has been a growing level of concern around the Cleveland Cavaliers after a slow start to the season after going 3-4 to start the season.
With that in mind, head coach Tyronn Lue stirred the pot a bit, recently stating that he believes that some of the players on the team are intimidated by LeBron James, according to Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com.
The other interesting theory Lue introduced tonight: some of the Cavs’ new players are struggling because playing alongside James is “intimidating.”
“Guys have got to understand that LeBron, he’s a giving person, he’s a giving player,” Lue said. “You’ve got to come in and play your game and we’ll adjust. I think a lot of times we defer to LeBron or guys are scared to be aggressive because of that. He’s not that type of player at all, so we’ve got to talk about that on Tuesday, guys being who you are, being aggressive and playing your game.”
There have been several additions to the roster over the offseason with the likes of Derrick Rose, Dwyane Wade, Jae Crowder, Isaiah Thomas, and Jeff Green. This has created an entirely new feel to the team as all of the former but Wade have yet to play on the same team as James.
It may be more of a sense of the players finding their place on the roster and the spots where they feel comfortable within the flow of the offense. There is also the adjustment for some of the other returning players such as Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith in new roles.
In spite of all of this, it is still quite early in the season with plenty of time to work out the kinks and chemistry.