The Cleveland Cavaliers are hitting new lows every week. It’s time to be brutally honest about the team right now, after they lost to the Chicago Bulls 127-111.
LOSER – Everyone, the whole dang team
Alright, let’s just do this.
With apologies to Jaylon Tyson and Thomas Bryant, who played their hearts out and did everything they could tonight, it’s time to deliver a rant that brings me no joy.
This team is currently unserious.
Donovan Mitchell might visibly do the heavy lifting by pouring in three-pointers or fighting his way to the rim for scoring outbursts that allow the Cavs to momentarily claw back into games. But those bursts are nothing more than Band-Aids. A cover-up for the previous 42 minutes of questionable effort that stems top to bottom on this roster.
Mitchell isn’t to blame for Cleveland’s recent struggles. He might be the only reason they have been somewhat competitive this season. But he’s quickly wearing down, as the need for him to shoulder the load on offense has led to diminishing returns on defense. Tonight, Mitchell was as guilty as anyone for not getting back defensively.
The Cavs, and the Utah Jazz before them, have already seen how this story en ds. Mitchell can do amazing things as a prolific scorer. But, if the team around him can’t chip in, the ceiling can only go so high. This isn’t Mitchell’s fault so much as it’s the reality of being a 6’3” guard in the NBA. Mitchell physically can’t control both ends of the floor like LeBron, Jokic, or SGA can.
This is where the rest of the team comes into play.
While Mitchell has exerted himself to the max for most of the season, his teammates have largely been absent. Either literally, in the case of injuries, or figuratively, like when they deliver no-shows such as tonight.
The Cavs aren’t going to win many games when Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and De’Andre Hunter are this ineffective. Garland and Allen can wave the injury excuse — but patience is running thin. Hunter, on the other hand, seemingly has no explanation for his sudden fall from grace. He’s currently a 30% three-point shooter who actively hurts his team defensively.
It hasn’t helped that the bench has seen all of its talent zapped away since last season. They lack an identity or purpose. No one on the second unit can score the ball. And, no one can effectively stop opponents from scoring themselves. This team found massive success when they had a microwave scorer (Ty Jerome) and a point-of-attack specialist (Isaac Okoro) at their disposal. They no longer have those options.
There aren’t enough Band-Aids to cover up this many wounds.
Can the Cavs turn this around? Probably. They certainly have the talent to be better than their 15-13 record currently shows. And, in fairness, they have been demonstrably banged up for the whole season. Sam Merrill, Max Strus and of course, Evan Mobley, are pretty important.
But that isn’t an excuse for the games they have recently dropped. A double-digit loss to the Chicago Bulls, just days after losing to the Charlotte Hornets and struggling for a win against the Washington Wizards, spells disaster. The most expensive team in basketball doesn’t get to dismiss this many red flags popping up all at once.
Anyone who has followed my work over the years knows that I’m an optimist. I’ve found the silver lining in every dark moment of this iteration of the Cavs. But I’ve never had more trouble finding optimism with this core than I do right now. They look defeated.
Will better health turn this around? Can they even get healthy in the first place? And what does it say about a team that hasn’t proven anything to look like they don’t care about winning in the regular season?
Maybe I’m overreacting to a bad stretch of basketball that has, once again, come during a time when half of the rotation is injured. I’m also under the weather, which could be worsening my mood even more. But if I can’t rant after a bad loss, then what am I blogging for anyway?
