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It seems like just yesterday Cleveland Cavaliers fans were ecstatic beyond words. LeBron James had announced he was returning, the team acquired Kevin Love and the two were going to be paired with two-time All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving. Everyone began wondering just how many games a team this talented could win. 60? 65? Or, dare we say, 70?
We’re just four games into the NBA season, and something tells me the number of people predicting anywhere near 70 wins is dwindling by the second.
The Cavaliers just went through back-to-back losses, with both defeats coming in brutal fashion. They had their doors blown off Tuesday night by the Portland Trail Blazers, looking outclassed in every aspect of the game. However, no worries, a game the next night against the inexperienced Utah Jazz was sure to help get Cleveland back on track, right?
Or so we thought. The Cavaliers once again found themselves on the losing end, falling via a buzzer-beater from Jazz forward Gordon Hayward. With how Cleveland started, it was astounding the game even came down to the last second. The Cavaliers still couldn’t play defense to save their lives, and their offense, supposedly primed to destroy anyone thanks to coach David Blatt’s new scheme, was moving slower than a three-legged turtle.
One of the more alarming stats about the offensive performance was the lack of passing. The team finished with just six assists, and Irving, charged with running the offense, had zero. This came one night after James said the team needed to move the ball more.
It may be early, but with a response like the one he put forth last night, you have to wonder if Irving is tuning out James and his words of wisdom.
Now, it needs to be mentioned Irving did indeed have a great night scoring. He finished with a team-high 34 points, and was crucial towards sparking a Cleveland comeback. But, the lack of ball movement is incredibly alarming, especially after James’ comments on it following the loss to Portland.
“Everyone wants to win, I would hope,” James said. “Would you rather play selfish basketball and lose, or play unselfish basketball and sacrifice and win? So you pick it.”
This was seen by many as a veiled shot at Irving and guard Dion Waiters. The two have been notorious for playing hero-ball, dribbling out the shot clock and going one-on-five against the opponents. Sometimes it works, as you saw in terms of scoring last night. But, it’s not something you want to rely on. More importantly, with the talent on the Cavaliers roster, you shouldn’t even need to rely on it.
Yet, Irving is still rolling it out on a nightly basis. James told reporters it needs to stop, then reportedly spoke to Irving about it after the Blazers game. The conversation was apparently healthy, which makes last night’s severe lack of passing quite a concern.
To his credit, James admitted some of the younger players who’ve been around for a couple seasons have to work this out of their system. However, I don’t think he was hoping to see Irving respond with a night of zero assists. When James told the media back in September he was handing the offensive reigns to Irving, I highly doubt this was the result he was hoping for.
As mentioned, this isn’t terribly new when it comes to Irving. Last year, he ignored then-coach Mike Brown multiple times, waiving off plays and tuning him out on the bench. He attempted many “I got this” takeovers, but the success rate wasn’t what you’d hope. When cutting to the rim, even if there was an open man and Irving was well-defended, it didn’t seem to matter. Irving wanted the shot, so he’d take it.
And, sure, last year, when the open man is someone like Alonzo Gee, by all means take the shot. But it’s a different story now. He has teammates he needs to trust when his shot isn’t there. If Irving is driving against three players in the lane, but Love is open in the corner, he has to know to pass it. Multiple times last night, this concept was ignored.
James has tried the past two games to let Irving and others know how badly the team needs to play together if they want to become the juggernaut everyone predicted them to be. At the moment, though, Irving doesn’t appear terribly receptive.
The problem is, James isn’t Mike Brown. He’s not some random veteran with a little bit of playoff experience. He’s a two-time NBA champion, he’s been in the league since 2003, and he knows what it takes to win it all. Irving doesn’t.
Yes, Irving is still very young and, let’s face it, could work to improve his maturity. And, yes, the lack of ball movement in a supposedly high-scoring offensive scheme is on more than one player. At the same time, Irving has been given the keys to this offense. James wants him to know this means distributing and running the court, and right now, Irving appears to beg to differ.
It’s tough to play the same style of basketball for three years, then be told you have to change it. This is what Irving is going through right now, so it likely isn’t an overnight fix. He has to learn he’s no longer the lone source of scoring. He has to understand James is not calling him out to take shots at him, but to tell him how to be a better player.
Irving was alone on an island for much of his tenure in Cleveland leading up to this season, but he’s not anymore. Until he realizes this and finally becomes the floor general James and the team need him to be, expect more of the same stagnant, plodding offense you’ve seen so far.
James said in his return letter he wanted to help make Irving one of the best point guards in the league. In order to make this happen, Irving needs to be a whole lot more receptive.
Casey Drottar is a Featured Columnist for www.Rantsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @CDrottar19 or “Like” him on Facebook
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