LEBRON AND ON AND ON
LeBron James and the Cavaliers hit town with high praise for DeMar DeRozan — and something the Raptors have always wanted even more,
There is a rhythm to life; there are seasons. So yes, the Cleveland Cavaliers are struggling. It’s that time of year, more or less. It was February of 2015 when LeBron James tweeted, “Stop trying to find a way to FITOUT and just FIT-IN. Be apart of something special! Just my thoughts,” about Kevin Love. It was January of 2016 when he blasted the team after a loss in New Orleans, saying, “I just hope that we’re not satisfied as an organization.”
The Cavaliers play the Toronto Raptors here Thursday night, and have lost six of nine games. Some have been blowouts, and one of them was a loss to Sacramento. It’s like Cleveland’s annual new year’s resolution in reverse.
“The effort’s just not there, and I think if we change that it’s half the battle,” said newcomer Isaiah Thomas, who has scored 45 points in his first 59 minutes as a Cavalier after coming back from hip surgery.
But they are not worried. Cleveland never worries. Right? No worries.
“No, I’m not worried,” said coach Tyronn Lue. “Third seed (in the East) right now with I.T. being out, (Derrick Rose) being out, (Tristan Thompson) being out. So we’re in a good position. We’ve just got to be better offensively and defensively, we’ll be fine.”
“Hundred per cent,” said centre Channing Frye. “We’ve got too many pros, too many MVPs, too many good guys on this team to not approach it like that, and be ready, and be confident in who we are. It’s why we’ve been successful, why we’ve won (13) in a row (earlier) this year. We’ve just got to get that groove back, and playing for each other and playing hard, and overall just doing the right things.”
They will get the groove back, they are certain. Thursday’s game will be a rare national game for Toronto — the organization would like more, thanks — but won’t be a measuring stick: not with Serge Ibaka suspended for throwing a punch in that messy loss to Miami Tuesday, or with Kyle Lowry nursing a bruised tailbone. Bad timing. Golden State is coming Saturday, too.
But as Golden State looms over the entire NBA, no matter what the Raptors do — no matter how much DeMar DeRozan blossoms, no matter how many facets emerge from the young, fascinating bench, no matter how much better the ball moves — Cleveland looms over everything about Toronto. The Cavaliers are not the only task: they are merely the penultimate one. Three straight finals, one title, and a 36-5 record in the Eastern Conference playoffs in the last three years. The regular season is just the road to get there.
As for the slumps, they seem so often to be about a team that’s bored, that’s saving itself, that’s waiting to gear up when it has to. Frye, one of the wisest veterans on a team jammed with them, scoffed when this idea was presented.
“That’s not an excuse,” he said. “Who doesn’t like winning? F--that. I like winning: every day, every game. I just think sometimes you play a lot of games, and sometimes you just don’t have it.”
But they have it when it matters, and the swagger and laughs outweigh any worries. LeBron James hosted a birthday party for Dwyane Wade at Drake’s new restaurant Tuesday night; at the end of Wednesday’s practice a Cleveland staffer imitated various free-throw techniques to laughs from the players.
The Cavs speak well of the Raptors — Thomas called Toronto a very good team, and Lue said they look really good. Frye spoke admiringly of DeRozan in particular.
But they also speak admiringly of themselves, and ooze confidence. Jose Calderon, the former Raptor, talked about Cleveland’s unusually extensive camaraderie on the road, and marvelled at the roster’s depth. Frye talked about the team’s shooting beyond LeBron, pointing to all the gunners available. Cleveland is second in the league in made threes per game, and fourth in percentage at 37.9 per cent. Toronto, in its new style, is eighth in makes, and . . . well, 27th in percentage, at 35 per cent.
“We’ve had our way with a bunch of teams (in the playoffs),” said Frye. “It’s just, we’ve got a lot of guys who shoot threes. And it’s rare, in this day and age: to have vets that are ready in those situations to shoot the three and shoot them at a high clip is pretty amazing.”
And Calderon spoke about LeBron, who at 33, in his 15th season, should probably win his fifth MVP.
“What makes him better: we talk about DeMar’s (work ethic), same strength,” said Calderon. “I’m usually the first one in the gym. I like to drop my kids (at school) and go in and do my thing. He beat me a few times. He’s the first one there. He works. When you see that work from your best player, it’s like it demands a lot from players, coaches, even front office. Everything’s got to be ready, because I want to work, work, work. And that makes you be better. That pressure of, we have to win.
“I think with him, there is a lot of talented players. You can say Stephen Curry, or Kevin Durant. (But LeBron) he controls everything.”
He does, yes. Cleveland has come to town. They are what the Raptors have to plan for, and aspire to. The Cavs may be in the dumps, but it doesn’t matter. Not yet.