I think we can all agree this has been a very odd season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Though their record indicates they’re the best team in the Eastern Conference, nobody really sees the Cavs as a true title contender right now. Internal strife, midseason firings and an overall lack of chemistry seem to have this team more than a little off. Any of these issues could be labeled as a reason why Cleveland doesn’t have the look of a dominant team right now.
Or, if you ask LeBron James, the problem is actually due to the Cavs not having an enforcer.
James held court yesterday, answering questions about his trip to Miami, his cryptic social media tactics and what seems to be off about this Cleveland team. In his opinion, it’s the fact the Cavs don’t have your token tough-guy, someone who will keep other teams in check if a game gets out of hand. Per James, he’s never won a title without one.
Kyrie Irving appeared to second this idea, and these comments were followed by a story claiming Cavs players were more than upset when longtime enforcer Kendrick Perkins wasn’t re-signed over the offseason. It appears the choice to instead sign Russian center Sasha Kaun was also not well received, especially since he has made no impact this year and doesn’t look ready to play in the NBA.
I guess I’ll agree with at least one of these statements. In his limited time on the court this year, Kaun does appear to be pretty useless. The players don’t seem to be too far off in being miffed about this signing.
However, when it comes to claiming the problem with this Cavs team is that they don’t have an enforcer, this seems really off-base. Cleveland certainly appears to have a good amount of issues, but adding on-court muscle isn’t the cure.
I’m sure Perkins was well-liked within the Cavs’ locker room. It certainly appeared as though the players were pretty psyched when he was picked up midway through last season.
At the same time, other than laying a body-check on Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder, I struggle to find where Perkins made a real impact last postseason. Sure, said game was getting chippy, and having Perkins send a message like he did really did seem to influence things. However, in the minimal time he touched the court throughout the rest of the playoffs, Perkins was a non-factor.
Perhaps the lack of a tough guy isn’t the core issue, but instead a lack of overall toughness.
On more than one occasion, and more frequently lately, this Cavs team has been accused of being soft. These accusations are spot on, and it’s a big reason why nobody really seems intimidated by Cleveland right now.
However, the fix to this isn’t signing someone who, beyond mean-mugging opponents for the nightly three-and-a-half minutes he touches the court, will contribute next to nothing.
I have to admit I’m confused why veteran athletes would claim the need for an on-court body guard is why their team is in a funk. This isn’t a roster full of rookies. Nearly everyone in Cleveland’s locker room has gone deep into the postseason at least once, especially just last season. Why, all the sudden, does the lack of an enforcer make a difference?
More importantly, if things go as everyone assumes, and the Cavs find themselves in a Finals rematch with the Golden State Warriors, what exactly is an enforcer going to do to change anything? Cleveland had Perkins last year and, outside of playing a total of three minutes in easily the most lopsided loss of the series, he made zero impact. Likewise, it sure didn’t seem like the Warriors relied on a tough-guy to help them win the title last year.
If the Cavs think toughness is an issue (it is), maybe it’s time to look within to solve that problem. The team notched up the physicality and locked down defensively midway through last postseason, and it sure didn’t seem like Perkins had anything to do with it.
If they miss his apparently crucial rally speeches, watch ‘Rudy’. Make a pump-up playlist. Or, I don’t know, make the realization you’re trying to win an NBA championship.
Again, the Cavs do have their fair share of kinks to work out before anyone sees them as a serious threat to knock off Golden State. However, signing a bouncer doesn’t seem like the answer.
Right now, it just sounds like Cleveland is trying to fall back on weak excuses to explain why it has rarely looked like a true contender for most of the season.
