Obviously, it's not time to panic for the Cleveland Cavaliers since the NBA season has just started, but the team is showing some glaring issues. A lot of people thought that the Cavaliers would have another smooth trip back to the NBA Finals this season, despite trading Kyrie Irving to the Celtics, but it does not look like this will be the case. After suffering a 3-game losing streak, the Cavaliers do not look like the same top-notch team from last year, even with the additions of Derrick Rose, Jae Crowder, Jeff Green, and eventually Isaiah Thomas. On paper, this roster looks like a super team, and I am sure that anybody that plays NBA 2k video games will use this team to demolish opponents, but the problem with the real-life version of this team is a lack of defense.
So far this season, the Cavaliers defense is allowing 109.8 points per 100 possessions, which ranks 27th in the league. Now I am sure that these numbers will decline as the season continues, and I am sure that the Cavaliers will be the #1 or #2 seed towards the end of the year, however, come playoff time, some of the other more youthful teams might pose a greater challenge to Cleveland than they have had to face in years. Even with the loss of Gordon Hayward, a huge deficit for the Boston Celtics, they are still a formidable team. Kyrie Irving is starting to look comfortable playing for them, averaging 21.7 points per game, along with 5.7 assists and 2.4 steals per game. Not to mention the Wizards will continue to be a dangerous team as long as they have John Wall, and the Milwaukee Bucks have a super star and MVP candidate in Giannis Antetokounmpo. Cleveland has to sharpen up on the defensive end if they want to get back to the NBA Finals. Not only that, coach Tyronn Lue needs to figure out a way to bring out the best in all of his players, which has been an issue so far this season.
Shooting Guard J.R. Smith has been a shell of himself, and it is clear that the Cavaliers need him to step up. He is shooting 26% from the field this season, and new Cavaliers member Dwayne Wade is only averaging 8 points per game on 43% shooting from the field. These are stats that we are not used to seeing from the 3-time NBA champion, but he is adjusting to a new team and system, and he is also not getting any younger. The Cavaliers have also added a lot of new members that are prone to injury, so it will be hard for them to stay formidable if their best players are always on the sidelines.
As I said, on paper, this team looks amazing, but when analyzing each individual player, and the issues with the team as a whole, the Cavaliers have a lot of problems. Hopefully, players like Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, and Isaiah Thomas can stay healthy and help this Cavaliers team. Hopefully this team will get their chemistry together, so they can make a run at a championship. However, even with these issues, this team will always have a chance to make the finals with LeBron James on the roster, but if they want to be able bring another championship to Cleveland, these issues will need to be solved.
The Cleveland Cavaliers next game is Nov. 7 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
