The Cleveland Cavaliers have lost four straight games and eight of their last 10, and fans are starting to grow concerned over whether this year’s edition of the team is a legitimate title contender. Apparently those same concerns are being felt in the locker room.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that several Cavs players “acknowledged growing discontent and a strong sense of concern” after Monday night’s 118-108 loss to the Golden State Warriors. The players, who remained anonymous, told ESPN, Cleveland.com and The Athletic that they are skeptical the issues the team has dealt with this season can be fixed through patience and getting the roster back to full strength.
Isaiah Thomas finally returned from a hip injury earlier this month, and he has not provided Cleveland with much of a spark. He is averaging just 13.6 points and 3.4 assists per game, which is a far cry from the 28.9 points per game he averaged with the Boston Celtics a year ago. Thomas will turn 29 next month, and some Cavs players are reportedly concerned about the team’s aging roster and lack of viable role players.
As McMenamin notes, the Cavs are just 1-6 this season against top-three teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving and the Celtics are running away with the No. 1 seed in the East despite Gordon Hayward being out for the season.
There’s still a chance for Cleveland to improve at the trade deadline, but there is some question about whether they are willing to part with the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick, which they acquired from Boston in the Irving trade. If LeBron James isn’t going to commit to re-signing with the Cavs this summer, they might need that pick to start their rebuild.
We’ve heard similar concerns about the Cavs in the past, and they have been to the NBA Finals the past three years. However, things are a bit different this year with reports indicating LeBron’s teammates may be unhappy with him. If things don’t change in Cleveland, a fourth straight trip to the Finals may not be in the cards.
