Cavs hope slump nothing but speed bump
Pro sports has always been a “What have you done for me lately?” business.
But when it comes to a seasonlong evaluation of the NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers, the ageold approach to analysis falls short. The Larry O’Brien Trophy will belong to LeBron James & Co. until June, when they’ll either earn another year with basketball’s bronze beauty or watch it head elsewhere as they weep.
Everything in between — like, say, losing three of five games entering Friday’s face-off at the Sacramento Kings, a game followed by Monday’s showdown in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors — matters not in the big picture. Or does it?
This is the second time this season the Cavs have provided evidence of vulnerability, the first coming when they fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls in succession six weeks ago while playing with a healthy roster. The Jan. 4 loss to the Bulls that started the aforementioned five-game stretch is hardly egregious because Kyrie Irving (hamstring) and Kevin Love (illness) didn’t play, even though it was the first time in 14 games that Cleveland lost a game in which James played. The back-to-back losses to the Utah Jazz (100-92 on Tuesday) and Portland Trail Blazers (102-86 on Wednesday), however, are another matter.
Kyle Korver recently joined the Cavs via trade from the Atlanta Hawks to aid a potent offense (fifth in offensive rating entering Thursday, at 109.4 points scored per 100 possessions, per NBA .com). He should help them en- dure the extended absence of guard J.R. Smith (thumb surgery, out for nine to 11 more weeks).
But the Cavs managed to turn in two of their worst offensive performances of the season (89.8 points per 100 combined, with Korver missing eight of 10 shots in a combined 42 minutes). In the last six games, they have averaged 99.7 points per game after averaging 110.9 before that point — albeit while playing improved defense (10th in the NBA during that stretch; 14th for the season).
The Cavs are 2-7 when scoring fewer than 100 points. It’s fitting that they have gone ice cold, what with the part the weather has played on this West Coast trip.
Since an uninspired 120-116 win Sunday vs. the Phoenix Suns, they have been up to their ears in snow in Utah and, more dramatically, in Portland. Their plane from Salt Lake City initially headed for Seattle as a Plan B before rerouting to Portland while in the air. Practice time, not to mention sleep, has been compromised.
That was the Cavs’ best explanation after the loss to the Blazers, when they were asked to discuss such out-of-character realities like poor shooting (34.1% overall; 45.3% for the season for 15th) and worse-than-normal ball movement (14 assists in all, well below the 21.4 per-game average that is 20th in the league). At last tally, the Cavs hadn’t practiced since Dec. 28. The good news? They’re scheduled to break the streak Sunday in San Francisco, leading into the final regular-season game vs. the Warriors.
“We need it, just to get on the court and just get reactivated on what needs to be done; get Kyle activated on what needs to be done,” James told reporters in Portland. “There’s only so much film and watching film, and we didn’t have an opportunity to have a walk-through (Wednesday morning) because of the (travel) situation. We need it.”
Added Irving: “Practice does the mind good and the body good sometimes, and I think we’re in need of it. But we’re on the West Coast road trip, West Coast swing, so we’ve just got to make do with the time we have.” And maybe return to winning. This is all nitpicky stuff that ultimately might prove irrelevant, but the microscope is always on when you’re on top of the NBA’s mountain. What’s more, it’s not as if the gap between the Cavs and their Eastern Conference foes is so wide that they can afford to backslide for long (entering Thursday, the Toronto Raptors were three games behind and the Boston Celtics 41⁄ 2).
“Schedule, injuries, sickness, a lot of stuff (has played into the struggles),” Cavs coach Tyronn Lue told reporters in Portland. “But, I mean, it’s no excuse. We know what we’re doing (and) what we’re supposed to do.”