Cavalier Losing Streak Magnifies Team Struggles

Tonight the Cavaliers host the Clippers hoping to halt a 26 game game losing streak. The streak has become an albatross around the neck of this team. Until it goes away, everything they do is under a microscope.

Take Wednesday’s game against the Pistons for example. The Cavs came out flat and fell behind big early. After fighting to get back in the game in the second half, the wind came out of the sails and the things went south quickly. A turnover here, a missed shot there and suddenly it’s a double digit deficit.

After the game coach Scott blasted the team for taking a step back, not giving the same kind of effort they had the last few weeks. For a coach to make these statements makes sense. He has to get the team to perform. When the team comes out flat, gives a lack-luster performance it is the coach’s responsibility to challenge them.

We were all devastated with the performance of the team on December 2nd against the Heat. There were several games afterward that caused us to groan as well. But the fact is this team (playing without 2 of it’s top 3 players by the way) has been giving the effort lately that we all want to see.

Take the game Monday against Dallas. Nobody thought the streak could end on that night, and the Cavaliers came within a few seconds of sending it to overtime. Take the game against Indiana. The Cavs fought and had chances to win. Hickson dropped the ball, Sessions blew the layup.

Take the game against the Grizzlies. Byron Scott himself said after that one, “Watching the guys in the locker room, the one thing I can say is guys are very disappointed in the way we finished the game, and maybe that’s a good thing.” Hickson, who had 31 points and 15 rebounds said afterward, “Everybody was really quiet with their heads down. We’re not playing to lose. We’re not going out there trying to lose. I think we did a good job of playing hard.”

Nobody questioned whether or not that was true.

Cut back to the game against Detroit. For a week everyone was saying that was the Cavs best chance to stop the streak. With the effort they had been giving, Las Vegas even made them favorites to win. Stop and think about that for a second. A team with the longest losing streak in basketball history was favored to win a game.

Why bring this up? Because all I’ve seen for the last 36 hours is media and fans completely bashing this team into oblivion. Crucifying them for the effort against Detroit.

“I would like to see any evidence that this pathetic, gutless team has a heartbeat or any sign of life. I see none. After a shameful showing that was an affront to anybody who works for a living, I see guys walk out of the locker room with food, heading to the rest of their evenings. Nobody’s embarrassed. Nobody’s inconvenienced. Nobody seems to care.”

That quote is from Mary Schmitt Boyer. I could have chosen any number of quotes. They were all pretty brutal.

My response to statements like these? How about trying to keep things in some sort of context here. Every NBA team has games where they don’t play well. Games when they come out flat and seem to know that it isn’t their night. The Cavs had plenty of games like this the last two seasons. The difference is that they used to have enough talent on the floor to make up for it.

I have no doubt that the Cavaliers will give their best effort tonight against the Clippers. Will they win? Chances are that they won’t. They still don’t know as a team how to close out an opponent. They don’t have a consistent go-to player for crunch time. The veterans on the floor (Jamison and Parker) haven’t displayed the ability to guide this young group over the hump. They make bad mistakes with the ball. They have rushed shots, and also made too many passes.

The streak is magnifying everything about this team right now. I hope the streak ends so the team can go back to just learning how to play the game at the NBA level, and seeing what pieces are worth keeping.