Rival no more
HE Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers have met three consecutive years in the NBA Finals. The former have won two while the latter one. This has ushered in an intense rivalry between the teams but the way the Cavaliers are playing, this rivalry, for all intents and purposes, might finally be over.
LeBron James’ Cavaliers have been so used to always playing in June and, despite their usual mid-season malaise, they would pick up the slack towards the end of the regular season and peak during the playoffs. This season, however, the Cavs are just really older – they are actually the oldest in the league - and a few steps slower and James simply can’t carry the team on his own.
Despite James’ usual brilliance (27.3 points, 8.8 assists, and 8 rebounds per game) and Kevin Love’s 19.2 points and 9.6 rebounds, no Cavalier has stepped up to the plate since Kyrie Irving’s departure. Isaiah Thomas hasn’t helped much in the five games since his return where he is putting up 13.6 points and 3.4 assists – a far cry from his averages in Boston. Thomas is not expected to carry a heavy burden with James around but he needs to shape up soon.
Currently, the team has lost 8 of their last 10 games including a recent 118-108 shellacking by the Warriors. In that game, it showed the increasing gap between the two teams. The Warriors are humming while the Cavs are barely getting along. The Cavs now sport a 26-17 record, 7.5 games behind the conference leading Boston Celtics and 4 games behind the Toronto Raptors. The Cavs will still make the playoffs but they are slowly letting the home court advantage slip.
With this situation, the Cavaliers need to make a big decision and make it soon with the Feb. 8 trade deadline looming. They need more help. Many teams are reportedly interested in the first round pick they got from the Brooklyn Nets but the Cavs are unwilling to part with that pick. The pick is insurance for a quick rebuild in case James bolts during the summer to seek greener pastures. It is likely that James will leave the Cavs if they get beaten again by the Warriors – which is the most likely scenario.
This Cavs team is one of the worst in defensive efficiency since they are overloaded with a lot of wings who can’t keep anybody in front. Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Green to name a few. They also have lumbering bigs who are hard-pressed in today’s evolving game.
While the Cavs can still turn it round with half a season to go, their margin for error is getting smaller by the day. There may also be dissension in the locker room due to the team’s slump. Some Cavs players reportedly said that they doubt the team can win the title. This is indicative of the fact that some players may have already given up this early in the season. A very bad sign but close to the truth. The Cavs reign in the East may come sooner rather than later.