The Cleveland Cavaliers were supposed to roll past the Atlanta Hawks without a problem especially after LeBron James’ monster game last outing. Unfortunately, it was yet another sad day for the Cavs fans after the visiting team, with a dismal 1-8 record scored its second win of the season.
It’s not that LeBron didn’t get any help from his teammates. Dwyane Wade played his best performance so far in the season, dropping 25 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 6 assists. Kyle Korver also came out guns blazing with 23 points, draining five 3-pointers in the process.
But their efforts weren’t enough to bring another win for the Cleveland Cavaliers fans.
Beaten by weaker teams
What’s puzzling the Cavaliers fans is that all six losses came from teams which were supposed to be a walk in the park for LeBron and the gang: Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and last night, Atlanta Hawks. But for some reason, these teams have shown the weakness of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Dwyane Wade explained that these teams are also composed of NBA players who definitely have what it takes to be in the league. With lackluster plays during the early minutes of the game, the Cavaliers are giving their opponents confidence boost to beat them instead of taking it away.
Problem with Cavs’ first unit
“It’s no secret; we’re starting games off awful – terrible,” Wade said in a post-game interview. He added that these hungry teams often tend to go all out right from the buzzer, pouring out their heart’s content, all the effort and focus. The problem is that the Cavaliers’ starting unit doesn’t have the same intensity, not even close enough.
Dwyane Wade is right, there’s definitely something wrong with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Check out the team’s first-quarter scores against their opponents (Cavs’ losses are highlighted):
- Cavs 29, Celtics 19
- Cavs 25, Bucks 25
- Magic 36, Cavs 18
- Cavs 28, Bulls 38
- Nets 26, Cavs 23
- Pelicans 35, Cavs 22
- Knicks 29, Cavs 19
- Pacers 30, Cavs 29
- Cavs 42, Wizards 36
- Hawks 37, Cavs 28
In all six losses, the Cavaliers trail their opponents after the first quarter while they even the scores against the Milwaukee Bucks.
They also trail the Chicago Bulls by 10 big points after the first canto although they managed to overtake them towards the endgame. Yet the in the game against the Boston Celtics, the Cavs were trailing 12-9 before Gordon Hayward got injured.
Dwyane Wade is right – the effort and focus just weren’t there, “You waste a lot of energy trying to come back from 16, 18 down. It’s tough, nightly, to do that,” Wade said. “It’s no secret in this locker room [that] our first unit; we’ve got to start off better,” the 2006 NBA Finals MVP added, obviously referring to the Cavs’ starting lineup except for LeBron James who is the team’s leading scorer.
And the three-time NBA champion has but one wish, “I want one time for the first unit to get on the second unit because we blew a lead. I’m waiting for that day to happen.”
