Easy February Should Right Cleveland Cavaliers' Listing Ship
The Cleveland Cavaliers are coming off their worst month in recent memory, but that could all change in February.
January 2017 will go down as one of the more complex and frustrating months that a Cleveland Cavaliers fan has had to endure since the infamous return of LeBron James.
The Cavaliers finished the month with a 7-8 record, the first time that a LeBron James-led Cavaliers team has finished a month with a losing record since February 2006.
An incredible feat by itself, but the timing of this messy stretch of basketball for the Cavs does not correctly indicate what could be to come.
The Cavaliers are coming off the first NBA title in franchise history, yet they somehow couldn’t put together a winning record for the month of January, which could be due to multiple factors.
A tremendous lack of effort, especially noticeable with LeBron (more on that in a second), resulted in losses to teams such as the Mavericks, Kings, Pelicans, Bulls and Trail Blazers.
All bad losses, all in one month, and already halfway through the season.
The criticism of LeBron taking plays off is warranted, but it’s also understandable to see why he may not be giving the maximum effort midway through his 14th NBA season.
At the age of 32, LeBron is ranked 21st in NBA history in minutes played, already passing Michael Jordan, and is quickly making his way up to the top.
He’s also second in the NBA in minutes per game this season at 37.5 (only 0.1 behind the league leader, Kyle Lowry, per basketball-reference.com).
The poor play of January has prompted all sorts of rumors and controversies, from talks of a potential Kevin Love–Carmelo Anthony swap with the New York Knicks, to LeBron asking for management to find him another playmaker and even to the beef with Charles Barkley, who honestly doesn’t seem to know anything about what is happening in the current state of the NBA.
Barkley just doesn’t seem to grasp the idea that the Warriors added Kevin Durant and that as great as Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love are and have been this season, they aren’t as good as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
The Cavaliers can’t beat the Warriors in a seven-game series with the roster they have now, it’s as simple as that.
If LeBron wanting to put together a roster that does compete with GSW is something that should be looked down upon, then Barkley should be whining to the boys in Oakland.
January was one to forget for the Cavs, but February is a new month and their schedule is even easier than the one that saw them somehow manage to lose eight games against some poor competition.
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February is an excellent time for NBA teams to recuperate, settle things down and get the (basket)ball rolling again.
The Cavs only play 11 games in the month of February and All-Star Weekend, which will take place from Feb. 17-19, allows the Cavs to have a seven-day break from Feb. 16-22.
In the 11 games they play this month, only four come against teams that currently own winning records; the Pacers (who they will play twice), Wizards and Thunder.
The rest of their games, including their most recent demolition of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Feb. 1 by a score of 125-97, come against teams with records at or below .500, such as the Bulls, Bucks, Nuggets, the Knicks twice and the Timberwolves again.
February also includes the NBA trade deadline, which is Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. EST.
LeBron has been begging for another playmaker, or at least a backup point guard, and the Cavs are likely to make a move that would hopefully include a relatively smoother transition period for the players involved given the Cavaliers easy schedule.
Trying to mesh new players with a new system can be simplified if you have to play the Knicks instead of the Spurs and Warriors (two teams the Cavs played in January and lost).
January should never be a panic month for NBA fans, especially when your team can put together a roster with the same magnitude that Cleveland can. It’s the middle of the season, and things begin to become monotonous.
A long break from the high levels of stress of an NBA season can do wonders for a team that clearly looks frustrated.
Another component of the Cavaliers horrendous January was the absence of J.R. Smith due to his broken right thumb. Smith isn’t likely to return until March and his absence could still create some issues for the Cavs.
Not only do the Cavs miss Smith’s production on offense, mainly his 3-point shooting, but his ability to be an above-average on ball defender is something the Cavs can’t replace with the current roster.
The trade for Kyle Korver helped the shooting aspect, but his defense is virtually nonexistent and he isn’t able to create his own shot as well as Smith can.
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This is where a trade comes in. Bringing in another guy that can play on both ends and fill the void that was lost when J.R. got hurt can make the team that much better when J.R. does eventually return.
A huge win (bigger than it should be for Feb. 1) over the Timberwolves shows a sign of hope that maybe January was just a bump due to frustration and possibly a bit of exhaustion.
Watching the Golden State Warriors continue to rip through the league after upgrading from a big three to an even bigger four can be disheartening for both LeBron and Cavs fans.
It’s hard to argue against someone who wants to improve his team when his highest level of competition, or “rival” (sorry LeBron, but it’s a rivalry), went out and added Kevin Freaking Durant.
February is set up perfectly for the Cavaliers to return to form. An easy schedule, a long break and a potential upgrade in the roster are all signs that point to improvement.
The Cavs are still the best team in the East and one bad month isn’t going to change that from being fact, but it could change how the Cavaliers plan their future.
