There is no escaping the harsh realities that come with the NBA season. There are many ups, and even more downs in a league that chews you up and spits you out almost every other night. The 2016 world champion Cleveland Cavaliers are experiencing one of those tough stretches, and certainly one of the more challenging periods on the floor since their favorite son LeBron James came home for the 2014-15 season.
The Cavs have dropped four of their last five games, with the losses being against teams that didn’t even feature in the playoffs last season. It’s safe to say, the sun isn’t shining on Northeast Ohio at the moment. More alarmingly, the Cavs’ losing streak would have been longer if it wasn’t for the historic 57-point performance from LeBron James to defeat the Washington Wizards on the road. James has been one of the few bright spots for the Wine and Gold this season so far, and despite his all-time great outing in D.C., it further outlined that the Cavs may still be in fact a one-man show despite their impressive roster on paper.
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Luckily enough for them, the panic buttons are not being pressed at the moment with LeBron James and their coaching staff. The four-time MVP has remained calm and collected, and has continued to preach his belief in the process of working through the difficult times in order to be successful long term. Head coach Tyronn Lue has echoed a similar mantra when faced with the hard-hitting questions and finger pointing. To his credit, Lue has also remained calm. He knows what pressure and expectation look like, and has taken on the challenge of turning this underperforming team around.
In seasons past, the defending Eastern Conference champions have had major issues with their depth. But this season, it’s the Cavs’ slow starts that have been absolutely killing them. Despite the Washington win, it’s hard to remember the last time the Cavs played the whole game in the lead this campaign, and it’s due to their horrific starts to games. As soon as the ball is thrown up and the clock starts, it seems as though the Wine and Gold already find themselves in a double-digit deficit.
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Tyronn Lue and his players are aware of this, and the man at the helm is terrified that his bench players are in fact running plays better than his good old trusty starters.
It’s a peculiar obstacle to rectify, but it has been reported Tyronn Lue has been spending long hours, frequently late into the night trying to work and figure out the Cavs’ problems. With all their talent, it’s extremely unlikely this poor run of form and subpar defensive efforts will last long. They do have Isaiah Thomas waiting in the wings ready to make his return, and of course, they still have the best player in the world. The Cavs are experiencing some growing pains at the moment, but Lue and his staff are doing all they can to turn their season around.
It’s likely they’ll figure it out, sooner or later.