Jordan Clarkson was in a losing situation with the Los Angeles Lakers until he came to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The expectations between the two teams are very different, from the fans to the front office.
The Lakers are likely going to be a lottery team and are probably just hoping to land one of the top spots in the 2018 NBA Draft, that is if they can even get their own pick, while the Cavs are hoping to win a championship this year.
That disparity in terms of the franchise’s goals makes every loss a tougher one for a team looking to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy over their heads at the end of the season.
Asked by a reporter whether adversity is a good thing for this Cavs team with a new lineup, Clarkson agreed.
“I think so. It’s still early but definitely feeling loved [by the Cleveland fans] is pretty good for us. But we came here to win every game. Stuff like that happens. We missed shots. We made mistakes defensively. They just capitalized on that.”
Clarkson, along with his new Cavs mates, suffered their first loss as a member of the franchise. The Washington Wizards, missing the services of All-Star point guard John Wall, spoiled the home debut of the four new players that the Cavs acquired during the trade deadline.
George Hill, Rodney Hood, and Larry Nance, Jr. didn’t make enough shots collectively to offset the Cavs’ poor defensive effort in a 110-103 loss to the Wizards.
Though LeBron James was his usual spectacular self, the rest of the team struggled to find their shots. James had 32 points, 9 rebounds, and 8 assists on 13-of-18 field-goal shooting.
