 When you read the title of this column the first thing that should come to mind is “huh”? The Cleveland Cavaliers or as their fanbase acknowledges as “The Land” currently have the best record in a much more competitive Eastern Conference. It’s expected by most that LeBron James will be participating in this year’s Finals for an amazing 6th straight season. It’s expected because no one in the Eastern Conference really presents much of a challenge to the Cavs once the playoffs begin. At least in my semi humble opinion (Don’t give me Toronto? They are this year’s version of the Atlanta Hawks.) SHOW ME! So why the panic? Because the pressure to bring a title to Cleveland has only ratcheted since last season when we saw just how good Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors got. And then they got MUCH better. Historically better. I don’t think LeBron nor anyone else in the league accounted for just big a monster Golden State would become when he returned home in July, 2014. That monster has grown to the point where its now created conversation as to whether LeBron James championship window is actually smaller than we imagined. The pressure is also magnified when it seems like every few months there’s another roster tweak. There seems to be a sense of dissatisfaction coming from the Cavs locker room. A reek of instability and yet those two things — important ingredients that are necessary in creating a champion. In Cleveland it sounds like good enough ain’t enough. So they fire head coach David Blatt in early January. Admittedly, not a good fit but the firing did also reek of instability especially when you fire a coach who’s won nearly 70% of their games. Even with Tyronn Lue inserted as head coach and by many a well liked guy in the Cavs locker room, it has not changed the perception of how shaky things are now in Cleveland. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders gave an inside look on just how shaky. Sources close to the situation have described the Cavaliers’ locker room as “miserable” at times, even when the team is having success. Part of the problem, according to sources, is that James is an extremely demanding leader and has a strong sense of urgency since he’s 31 years old, in his 13th season and has a ton of basketball miles on his body. This intensity can be a good thing, as he has led his teammates to work harder and play to their full potential. However, it has also led to some issues, especially since James is at a different stage of his career than many of Cleveland’s other key contributors. Remember, players like Irving (23 years old), Love (27 years old) and Tristan Thompson (24 years old) among others are much younger and they can afford to be a bit more patient when it comes to winning a ring. Each of these players just got their first taste of the postseason last year, so it’s hard for them be as driven as James in his quest to bring the Larry O’Brien trophy to Cleveland. It’s unclear if Irving is actually unhappy or – if he is – why exactly he wants out. But his history of disliking the city of Cleveland, the fact that he’s playing in James’ shadow to some extent and the comments made by people like Varejao and Griffin do lend credence to Smith’s rumor. “There’s nothing to really address,” Irving said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Obviously there’s going to be some misunderstandings; it’s part of being on a team. For me, as a maturing young player in this league, I know what we have and the opportunity we have in order to be something special. My communication is open with all of my teammates, just knowing what’s going on and how I feel about things. Sources close to the situation have described the Cavaliers’ locker room as “miserable” at times, even when the team is having success. Part of the problem, according to sources, is that James is an extremely demanding leader and has a strong sense of urgency since he’s 31 years old, in his 13th season and has a ton of basketball miles on his body. The fact that there’s a concern that one of the Cavs three best players in Kyrie Irving could be unhappy with his standing in Cleveland whether fact or fiction is a problem. Leaks like these never came out during the Miami years. In Cleveland there seems to be new drama seemingly every few months. Stephen A. Smith of ESPN, love or hate him, he’s a guy that’s pretty plugged in. He himself spoke on the Kyrie rumors earlier on First Take reiterating that Irving’s frustration dates back to last year. Irving did speak on this recently. “There’s nothing to really address,” Irving said, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Obviously there’s going to be some misunderstandings; it’s part of being on a team. For me, as a maturing young player in this league, I know what we have and the opportunity we have in order to be something special. My communication is open with all of my teammates, just knowing what’s going on and how I feel about things. Here’s the problem with Kyrie’s statement. The fact that he didn’t outright denying any of the claims of discourse should cause at least some minor concern although in the end I will still chalk it up to maturity and growing pains.
I don’t expect anything to change in the next six weeks nor next three months. I expect this to be put under wraps quickly. The Cavs will hold on to the best record in the East and ultimately plow their way to another Finals appearance cause real talk — no one in the East is good enough. However things will get much more interesting if Cleveland were to lose again in June. Heads may roll then. |
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