It’s no secret the Cleveland Cavaliers have been driving the struggle bus as of late. Losing 9 of their last 12 games – many of which were done so in double digit fashion – the reigning Eastern Conference Champions are looking far from their usual dominance and are instead finding themselves in unfamiliar territory…consistently at the bottom of SportsCenter’s Not Top10 and in desperate need of a midseason makeover.
Led by LeBron James, 4-time league MVP now in his 15th season, the root of their problem does not seem to be one of talent, but more importantly each member of the roster choosing to add an “i” into the word and concept of team. With the presence of individual agendas, issues of jealousy around playing time, and a communication imbalance seemingly weeding its way through the base of the “Believeland” squad, it has become obvious the players have lost sight of the “All for One, One for All” mentality and have instead replaced it with that of the opposite; ultimately leading to the counter productivity of none with thoughts of their fearless leader’s lack of long term commitment to the organization lingering in the back of their minds.
When examining the top teams in the league – talent exempt – there are three factors that standout determining what it is they have in common. Those being effective communication, efficient ball movement, and last but certainly not least- team chemistry. This is blatant to fans, the media, and more significantly amongst members of the organization itself. There seem to be no signs of miscommunication, bad blood amongst stars, or individualistic aspirations being sought after therefore leading to better discipline and game play on and off the court. Teams such as the Houston Rockets and the defending champion Golden State Warriors are two of which that come to mind; both whom have overcome injuries to a number of their star players, have made major blockbuster trades over the past few seasons (still maintaining/improving the team chemistry), and have withstood coaching changes only to allow the adversity to make room for greater growth and push them all to redefine the dynamics of true teamwork.
As the great divide in the Cavaliers locker room continues to build, it may be who of them to take notes from their fellow heavy weights mentioned above in order to bridge the gap; particularly with recent news of the actions of power forward Kevin Love rising to the service, adding fuel to the fire of the finger-pointing culture and leaving room for the many pre-trade deadline rumors to swirl. The scheduled “emotional team meeting”, however, is no foreign call to action for the organization. It has previously stood as a time for all members of the team to be in one room, openly air their grievances, and collectively re-group heading into the second half of the season, which recently has led to three straight NBA Finals appearances and one NBA Championship- coming from down 3-1 in the series to defeat the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
James’ resume being stacked from top to bottom with an NBA scoring title, two Olympic gold medals, seven straight NBA Finals appearances, three NBA Championships with three NBA Finals MVP awards to match and not to mention being a 4-time league MVP as previously noted to name just a few honorable achievements; it’s safe to say this decorated veteran knows the first thing about leadership and what needs to be done in order to attain the ultimate goal. Therefore, although they are a team amidst notable woes, one should not be quick to count them out.
Yes, there are obvious communication issues and blame being put on a new player, coach, and/ or member of the organization daily. Their defense is atrocious and they can’t seem to find the right rotations to save their lives… at the moment. However, despite their recent struggles, they still hold the 7th best record in the league, are the same team who won 18 out of 19 games earlier this season after a rough start to the year- oh – and have the greatest player in the world along with a handful of other current and former all-stars on their roster that just might do the trick in quieting the peanut gallery of critics.
With that being said, do they currently look like a championship contender? No. Do they have all the pieces of the puzzle to become one? Absolutely. No strangers to flipping the switch, the Cleveland Cavaliers know in order to make their 4th consecutive NBA Finals appearance, they must forgo the singular agenda, choose to be on the same page, and buy in to being “all in”…together.
Written by Chanel Ray
Twitter: @pointblnksprts1
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