CLEVELAND, Ohio – Blame effort, schematics or a soiled culture. Blame the schedule, the injury luck or a stronger Eastern Conference. Blame the coach, the players or the general manager.
Point the finger anywhere for the Cavs’ disastrous 15-14 start, and you’re bound to find a valid reason.
Just don’t blame the patrons at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse for booing Cleveland off the court during Friday’s 136-125 loss against the Chicago Bulls. Their only mistake was expecting better.
The Cavs’ latest eyesore featured a longer injury report, but let’s be real: This team’s flaws run deeper than lineup data. And many of them aren’t talent related.
With or without reigning Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, who missed his third straight game with a calf strain Friday, Cleveland cannot muster the motivation required to even run back in transition defense this season.
Seriously, Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, what’s the rush to dunk that basketball at the other end? Can’t you see we’re jogging here?
_Booooo_.
With or without superstar guard Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs can’t outscore their own indifference. In two games against the Bulls, Cleveland committed 35 turnovers. And twice in the same span – two times too many -- the Cavs allowed a fast break bucket after their own made basket.
There goes Tyrese Proctor, one of few bright spots on Friday, crossing over one defender and finishing over another with 3:15 to play in the third quarter. There goes Bulls guard Kevin Huerter running behind the Cavs’ defense for a layup four seconds later. Here goes the home crowd.
_Boooooo._
By the way, all this booing comes _after_ last week’s supposed Film Session of Truth, during which the Cavs said they highlighted lazy mistakes and preached accountability. Then again, the Cavs say a lot of things they don’t do these days. And I’m starting to wonder if they even believe their own words.
“I feel like tonight was a game where we finally got the process right,” Cavs center Jarrett Allen said postgame. “We made sure that we were good on the defensive end. We made sure that every single coverage we were in was in the right coverage, and from there, we just have to live with the results.”
Really? ‘Cause the results since Cleveland’s six-day break last week could kill a contender’s spirit. Beginning last Friday, the Cavs are 1-3 with a -7.8 point differential against three of the NBA’s worst teams. The Washington Wizards (4-21), who play every game for draft position, led Cleveland by 17 points before Mitchell took over late. The 130-126 result felt less like a win than a(nother) warning sign.
The Charlotte Hornets (9-18) won 119-111 at Rocket Mortgage arena without All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, in part because Cleveland became the first team since 2015 to finish an overtime period scoreless.
The Bulls (12-15) entered this “mini playoff series,” as coach Kenny Atkinson called this week’s home-and-home, having lost eight of nine games. But Chicago has scored 263 points since Wednesday against this Cavs defense. Forty-five of those have come via fast breaks (22.5 per game). The Raptors lead the NBA with 19.5 fast break points per game.
In the time it took you to read that paragraph, Bulls guard Josh Giddey just threw three more outlet passes over Cavs defenders who weren’t running back hard enough.
Maybe the real midseason reset was the friends we made along the way. Because one week after a series of “uncomfortable” team meetings, the Cavs are even harder to watch than they were beforehand.
Twenty-nine games into the season (34.1% complete) the Cavs are 15-14, tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference (only a half game behind the Heat for home court in the first play-in game). And if you’re into pointing fingers, you have plenty of places to aim.
Blame a cramped early-season schedule or a series of unfortunate injuries. Blame the coaching or the roster construction. Blame the effort or the execution.
No wrong answers here. Only lazy defensive lapses, an underperforming roster and a fanbase tired of watching bad basketball.
Say it with them now: _Boooooo._