New found purpose
All told, the Cavaliers experienced another week of the same old, same old, but emerged from it with newfound purpose. Have they finally latched on to a formula that can consistently breed success? Only time will tell, but, if nothing else, they’re headin
The week began with the Cavaliers embroiled in controversy. Having lost three of their last four outings, they were being peppered with queries on their commitment to meet their ultimate goal. Their setback to the Raptors could be forgiven (never mind their seeming willingness to act like sieves and witness Kyle Lowry post career numbers), but what about blowouts at the hands of the Pistons and the Wizards? They proved listless, disjointed, and unfocused, as if stuck in easygoing All- Star Weekend mode.
The criticism of the Cavaliers’ relative lack of effort in their recent matches was, to be sure, not undeserved. At the same time, they wound up needing to face issues that had little or nothing to do with the product they put out on the court. There was LeBron James’s decision to work out with rival Dwyane Wade in Miami. There was Kyrie Irving’s supposed dismay at playing second fiddle. There was Kevin Love’s continued inability to fit in.
There were all those, and more, leading the Cavaliers to note: “What else is new?” Indeed, precisely because they are who they are, second-guessing the way they go about their business has become the favorite pastime of National Basketball Association habitues. It was how their 2014-15 bridesmaid campaign went, and how their 2015-16 run for a hopefully better finish is so far going. And, yes, they’re used to being under heavy scrutiny — and, for the most part, to performing as best they can, all things considered. It’s why, for all their frailties, they remain at the top of the East, and why they’re still deemed the Warriors’ biggest threat to repeat as champions.
It’s a glass-half-full or -half-empty situation depending on perspective, really. On one hand, the Cavaliers are decidedly dysfunctional, with a roster so loaded and versatile that head coach Tyronn Lue can’t decide on a core rotation, let alone a set system. On the other, they’re definitely potent, and they appear to be on the cusp of figuring out their true identity. After their stumble, they’ve won three straight set-tos on the strength of small-ball lineups featuring James at the four spot. And, surprisingly, it’s on defense where their new look has made a striking difference.
All told, the Cavaliers experienced another week of the same old, same old, but emerged from it with newfound purpose. Have they finally latched on to a formula that can consistently breed success? Only time will tell, but, if nothing else, they’re heading
in the right direction.