Cavaliers’ attitude: Slump doesn’t mandate changes
Lue sees recovery for Cleveland club that’s lost 10 of 14
INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — As Lebron James and some teammates practiced free throws at a nearby basket, coach Tyronn Lue addressed questions about the troubling state of the Cavaliers while sitting in a high-backed, cushioned chair.
While he was cool, Lue’s seat has warmed.
With the Cavs mired in a bewildering midseason slump and less than 24 hours after a historically embarrassing loss to Oklahoma City, Lue said he has no immediate plans to change his starting lineup or rotations. Cleveland fans may be panicking, but Lue’s not nervous.
At least not publicly.
The Cavs are just 4-10 since Dec. 19, and in the past two weeks they’ve lost by 28 at Minnesota, 34 at Toronto and 24 to the Thunder, who scored 148 points and tied a record for the most points allowed by Cleveland in a regulation game — a mark that went unmatched since 1972.
It’s a mess, and it’s a mystery the way James and the Cavs have collapsed. They’ve slipped in the past, but this slide feels much more ominous than in the previous three years when Cleveland stumbled but still reached the Finals.
“This is kind of just my experience with this team, to be honest,” said forward Kyle Korver, acquired last January in a trade. “The year that I’ve been here, we’ve been really good and we’ve been really bad. It seems to come in waves, so, hopefully there’s a good wave coming soon.”
With all that’s wrong, changes would seem to be in order. Lue, though, believes the Cavs can solve their problems without any major alterations.
“It’s the same group we won 18 out of 19 with also,” he said, referring to Cleveland’s stretch from Nov. 11 to Dec. 19. “We’ve just got to play better. We’ve got to play better, we’ve got to be sharper and that’s what we continue to keep working on. It’s the same team that won 18 out of 19 and 13 in a row.”
Technically, Lue’s right. The Cavs’ roster hasn’t been touched — not yet.
However, the club has been in almost continuous flux over the past month as key players Isaiah Thomas and Findlay Prep product Tristan Thompson returned from injuries.
Also, reserves Jose Calderon, Channing Frye and Cedi Osman have seen their playing time diminish and Korver, the sharpshooter who had developed into the team’s best crunch-time player other than James, has had his role reduced.
Lue has been searching for the right combinations, but the Cavs aren’t connecting.
“We’re just figuring out our team,” Korver said. “Ty’s got a tough job. He’s trying to find lineups that are