CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs have a problem, and it isn’t their roster construction, their injury situation or even their schedule. According to cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins, it’s something far more fundamental: their attitude.
On the latest episode of Wine and Gold Talk podcast, Watkins pulled no punches when diagnosing what’s ailing the 14-11 Cavaliers, who currently sit in the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference despite championship aspirations.
“It just seems like right now the main theme has been that these guys are too cool for school,” Watkins said. “There’s an air of confidence about this team, borderline arrogance. ... It’s a team that needs to be humbled and you hope over the first 25 games that took place.”
That entitlement becomes particularly frustrating considering this Cavaliers team hasn’t accomplished anything substantial in the playoffs yet.
After being eliminated in five games by the Indiana Pacers in last year’s playoffs, this was supposed to be a season of growth. Instead, 25 games in, they’re still trying to recapture last season’s form.
The most maddening aspect for Watkins is that the team seems to recognize their problems but can’t seem to fix them.
After a five-day break due to being eliminated from the NBA Cup, the Cavs have time for reflection, film study and player-led meetings. But talk is cheap.
“They’ve said all the right things in many cases at every turn. They understand what the problem is and yet the problem persists,” Watkins observed. “Show us what you’re saying. Put action to words and start kicking some of these teams in the East’s a-- like you’re better than them.”
The upcoming game against the Washington Wizards presents a perfect opportunity for the Cavaliers to demonstrate they’ve taken these conversations to heart.
With Jarrett Allen returning to practice and the team getting healthier, there are fewer excuses available.
As the podcast conversation continued, Watkins rejected the notion that the Cavs are facing legitimate adversity, placing the blame squarely on their mentality: “This is self-created, self-generated adversity. They are making \[things\] harder on themselves because they’re not taking the regular season seriously and it’s multifaceted.”
The consequences of this approach extend beyond just their current record.
As the Eastern Conference grows stronger with emerging teams like the Detroit Pistons and resurgent Boston Celtics, the Cavaliers are jeopardizing their playoff positioning. What was once viewed as a potential cakewalk to the Conference Finals now looks increasingly precarious.
For a team with the talent of Donovan Mitchell playing at an MVP level, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and others, the disconnect between potential and performance is striking. The reality is that this Cavaliers team has set high expectations for themselves but hasn’t shown the necessary work ethic or intensity to achieve those goals.
“I need to see the outline that regular season outline of a contender first before I’m believing anything else about growth of the mentality in the playoffs or anything like that,” Watkins stated. “You’re below your starting point right now and you need to get back to that.”
As the Cavaliers prepare to return from their break, the message is clear: it’s time to stop talking about intensity and start showing it. The team’s championship aspirations depend on it.
Want to hear Jimmy Watkins’ full breakdown of the Cavaliers’ attitude problem and what it means for their season? Listen to the complete episode of Wine and Gold Talk podcast for more insights, analysis, and straight talk about the state of the team.
Here’s the podcast for this week: