From November 7th to December 21st, the Cleveland Cavaliers won 20 games and lost just two. But since their loss to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, the Cavs have looked completely different. Over their last 14 games, the Cavs are just 3-11, with two of those wins coming against the NBA’s worst team by record, the Orlando Magic.
And those two wins came by a combined five points. On the court, the team is struggling mightily, at a level we haven’t seen in years. But things are even worse off the court, as evidenced by reports of arguments, intense locker room meetings, and strained relationships between the players. While there are most likely multiple reasons for this recent implosion, evidence points to one player as a possible root of the problem.
First, an overview of all the drama surrounding this team over the past week or two. On January 13th, Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon reported that some Cavs players question coach Tyronn Lue’s lineup decisions, complaining that Lue doesn’t game plan for specific matchups enough. It’s a fair criticism of Lue, as players’ minutes remain essentially the same on a night to night basis, no matter the opponent or performance of the player. For example, over the last ten games, J.R. Smith has played an average of 28 minutes per game, despite scoring a total of 59 points over that period, being held scoreless twice, and shooting 24% from three-point range.
Vardon also reported that some players are upset with LeBron James and “have grumbled that James has slowed the ball movement, holding on to the ball until he sees an ‘assist’ pass, rather than moving it quickly.” Over his career, James has never been one to pad stats, but perhaps there is some fire to all this smoke. If true, James is hurting his team by looking to gain an assist for himself, as opposed to facilitating the offense with the end goal of scoring a basket, no matter who is credited.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported that overall, there is a growing discontent among Cavs players. This is completely understandable, because of the recent slump and under-performance of many key players. The returns of Tristan Thompson and Isaiah Thomas have not improved the team as was expected, adding to the disappointment.
On January 23rd, things came to a head as the Cavs held a team meeting, where tempers flared and accusations were thrown. Kevin Love took the brunt of the disapproval, as teammates were not happy that he left the game against Oklahoma City due to an illness. Isaiah Thomas supposedly led the charge against Love, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of EPSN.
Wojnarowski doesn’t have any sources within the Cavaliers’ organization, as no players talk to him. Except for Isaiah Thomas. Shortly after being traded to Cleveland, Thomas called Wojnarowski and discussed the deal with him. It’s likely that Thomas is the one leaking the contents of the private team meeting, and if this is the case, it’s cause for serious concern.
Any time a player is leaking confidential information to the press, it’s not a good thing. But in Thomas’s case, he’s a new addition coming off of a serious injury, with plenty to prove. His performance since returning from injury hasn’t been stellar, with his defense being particularly atrocious. And he was allegedly pointing fingers at a Cleveland mainstay who not only been one of the NBA’s best players for nearly a decade but the model teammate and locker room presence.
Thomas was known as a great off-the-court person and leader who would provide a stark contrast to the disgruntled diva Kyrie Irving, but so far, that hasn’t been the case. Thomas has been vocal on his teammates’ lack of defensive effort and performance, despite his own shortcomings. Overall, the Cavs rank dead last in the NBA in defense, so it’s a team effort(or lack thereof), but Thomas’s size prevents him from being effective while playing defense. He’s also shooting just 39% from the field and 28% from three.
If anyone is qualified to bash his teammates for underperforming, it’s not Thomas. He should be pushing his teammates for better performance and effort, but if he’s going to do that, he needs to include himself in the targeted audience. This has likely been tried, but the results speak to a need for a new approach.
Maybe it’s the new combination of players and personalities in the locker room. Maybe it’s the loss of veterans James Jones and Richard Jefferson. Maybe it’s Tyronn Lue being unable to control his team. Whatever the issues, it needs to be solved, whether by getting rid of dissatisfied players or bringing new ones in. Perhaps the All-Star break will do the team a favor. But first, the hypocrisy and leaks have to stop, and that starts with Isaiah Thomas.