Looks like the state of Missouri isn’t the only place where premature panic and fear take place. The Cleveland Cavaliers have gotten off to an anemic 5-7 start to the NBA season and people are starting to lose their minds. It didn’t help that the Cavs watched an 18-point first quarter lead turn into a 19-point deficit against the conference leading Toronto Raptors. (Yeah, that sounds strange to me too.) So what exactly is wrong with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers?
Oh how quickly we forget.
It wasn’t that long ago when King James took his talents to South Beach to unite with two superstars and a rookie head coach. Despite astronomical expectations, the team sputtered off to a 9-8 start to the season and everyone wondered what was wrong. How could the Big Three not roll over the opposition like monster trucks? The answer was simple. The team just needed time to develop some chemistry and gel together. Eventually, the Miami Heat finished the regular season with a record of 58-24 and made it all the way to the NBA Finals before succumbing to the Dallas Mavericks.
Therefore it should be no surprise that the Cavs and its All-Star trifecta have gotten off to a similarly slow start. Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving are all used to be the #1 option on offense and having the ball in their hands a lot. Growing pains should be expected while they learn how to play well with their new teammates. While James is a natural facilitator and learned how to share the superstar role and the rock in Miami, he too must get acclimated to his two new sidekicks. Rookie coach David Blatt, has to adjust to the differences from the Euroleague and learn how to use his new players. Eventually the team will mesh, hit on all cylinders and distance itself from its conference competitors.
In the words of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, “R-E-L-A-X.”
James’ has never been immune to struggles. It sounds odd to say a guy averaging 24.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals is struggling, but outside of the assists, James’ numbers are down across the board this season. He’ll get better. So will the Cavaliers. I have zero doubt that the team’s offense will eventually come together and they’ll run off a few double-digit win streaks before the season’s end. The team’s biggest question marks are unchanged from the start of the season. Can Irving and Love improve on the defensive end and still put up points on offense? That remains to be seen. However anyone freaking out about the season in November needs to take a deep breath. The Cavaliers will be fine. By season’s end, the only way the Raptor’s will be looking down at the Cavs is on a map.
Pacquiao impressive in victory
As I predicted last week, Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao put a vicious beat down on Chris Algieri. Pacquiao didn’t quite get the KO, but dropped his overmatched opponent as astonishing six times en route to an easy decision victory. Pacquiao’s speed and world-class pedigree was simply too much for Algieri to overcome. Unfortunately, I’ll have to catch the replay Saturday night before HBO’s World Championship Boxing bout between exciting WBO lightweight titlist Terence Crawford (24-0-0, 17 KO) and Ray Beltan (29-6-1, 17 KO).
My fight experience at Kevin Cunningham’s grand opening of Knockouts Bar & Grill was interrupted mid-fight by an idiot who decided to take a life because he was denied entry into the sports bar. With all the issues surrounding Ferguson and the killing of Mike Brown, you would think that people would be able to chill and put their energy towards resolving the greater social issues of the area. I feel awful for the victim, Herbert Burnett. Prayers go out to his family and to Cunningham, who had an amazing opening weekend marred by senseless violence. Hopefully he and his establishment will be able to bounce back. C’mon St. Louis, we’ve got to do better.
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