By this time last year, the Cavs were 38-24 and were in the midst of a great run through the regular season. They traded for and signed all the right pieces and looked like a legitimate championship contender. They finished last season with a 53-29 record after a lackluster 19-20 start.
The Cavs sit at 42-17 so far this season, but the feeling around the team is that they almost don’t seem as good as they were last year. They’re on pace for 58-59 wins if they continue at their current pace, but it just doesn’t feel as successful amid the inconsistencies and the run the Golden State Warriors are on.
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Cleveland.com’s Chris Haynes joined the Dan Patrick Show, and discussed the Cavs’ lacking an enforcer off the court…something they had not too long ago.
According to Dan Feldman of NBC Sports, a lot of Cavs players were very mad that the team did not re-sign Kendrick Perkins, but instead signed Sasha Kaun, an older rookie in the NBA who is now warming up the bench.
They were highly pissed. I knew this for a fact. They were highly ticked off, this team, when the team didn’t re-sign Kendrick Perkins and they ended up picking up over the summer Sasha Kaun, 29-year-old rookie who has not really played at all and I don’t really think is ready for the NBA.
So, he’s collecting about $2 million right now a season and not even playing. Kendrick Perkins would’ve been brought back for the veteran’s minimum.
Players – I know for a fact, I talked to them – they were highly ticked off about that, not bringing him back. Because it wasn’t about his numbers. It was about the intangibles, the emotional leadership and the enforcer, the enforcement role he brought to the team.
Instead of Perkins, Sasha Kaun was signed and has basically done nothing off the bench. Part of the reason, as Feldman suggests, is that Tristan Thompson had not signed with the Cavs at the time, and the Cavs needed a big man capable of contributing on the offensive end. Perkins, although an absolute enforcer and strong voice in the locker room, is no longer mobile enough to be an offensive weapon, and the Cavs could not waste a roster spot on a guy who couldn’t contribute on the court (again, before Thompson re-signed).
Now with Thompson back, however, it would have been great to have Perkins light the occasional fire under the Cavs. After signing Perkins mid-season, the Cavs were very consistent and took care of business most nights. This season, they’ve shown a constant lack of effort that has many question whether they can even get back to the Finals.
Only time will tell, but one thing is clear: the Cavs must get better if they want to get back to a position where they can compete for a championship.
VIDEO: Chis Haynes Reports Cavs Players Were Frustrated That Kendrick Perkins Was Not Re-Signed.