INDEPENDENCE, Ohio — The Cavaliers have dropped
three in a row, one of which was their worst home loss in franchise history.
That came Friday in a 114-75 loss vs. Chicago, which was without injured point
guard and reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose.
The Cavs weren’t much better in Atlanta the next night, getting walloped 121-94
by a Hawks team that was without injured All-Star center Al Horford and veteran
guard Kirk Hinrich.
So it’s only natural for fans to feel a little nervous. It’s only natural for
them to think about last season — when the Cavs tied a pro sports record (1976-’77
Tampa Bay Bucs) with 26 consecutive defeats.
And it only makes sense for fans to start bracing themselves over what might
happen Tuesday when the Cavs travel to Miami to face LeBron James and the
powerful Heat.
But fear not, said forward Antawn Jamison. This year isn’t last year.
“The last three games is not who we are as a team,” Jamison said from the
team’s practice facility Monday. “We realize that.”
Jamison cited the first few weeks of the season, when the Cavs got off to a
surprising 6-7 start despite a grueling seven-game trip that took them to the
West Coast. In practically every one of those games, win or lose, the Cavs did
something a lot of people weren’t expecting. They competed.
Not so in the Chicago and Atlanta losses when the Cavs failed to defend, track
down loose balls or keep the offense flowing. But if there is one thing Jamison
stressed, it’s that folks shouldn’t freak out too much over the recent string
of frustration.
“That (explitive) isn’t going to happen again,” he said. “This is a different
team, a better team. What happened last year is last year.”
Earlier this year, that would‘ve been easy to believe.
On top of adding lottery picks Kyrie Irving (No. 1 overall) and Tristan
Thompson (No. 4), Jamison and veteran big man Anderson Varejao returned from
injuries that ended their seasons in 2010-11. Also, the Cavs had been receiving
improved play from the likes of small forward Alonzo Gee and backup guard Ramon
Sessions.
But with the exception of the rookies, everyone seemed to take a step back in
the past week. Why? No one knows.
And if you ask Jamison, no one cares.
Well, they care — they just aren’t about to get too hung up on it.
“The thing is, we’re 6-9 and tied for seventh (with Boston and Milwaukee) in
the Eastern Conference,” he said. “So the most important thing is to stop the
bleeding as quickly as possible. Not only stop the bleeding, but when we go out
there and we’re not competing, the other team is going to rub it in our faces.”
In other words, when it comes to getting this thing fixed, the Cavs can’t rely
on anyone but themselves.
Cavs coach Byron Scott concurred.
“We have two bad games and everybody wants to panic and make all these
changes," Scott said. “Like I told our guys today, we've had two bad
games, and if the playoffs started today, we'd be in the seventh spot or the
eighth spot. So it’s not all that bad.
"We've just got to make sure that we go back to the basics and do the
things we did the first 13 games, which was compete on the defensive end, play
hard. Our effort was unbelievable. We had second and third efforts. The last
couple games we haven't been getting that. It's just getting back to the little
things we were doing the first 13 games.”
What better place to start than in Miami — against a team everyone has pegged
for the title?
“You don’t want to get yourselves in a situation where you dig yourself a hole,
and then for the last month or so, you’re trying to get out of that hole,”
Jamison said. “For us to have played like we played in the last three games,
that should be enough motivation to come out against a quality team that people
are picking to win it.”
Cavs Notes
* Jamison agreed that the Heat should in fact be considered favorites. “They
still have the Big Three (in James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh),” and more
determination to prove they are capable of winning a championship after losing
in the Finals last season, Jamison said.
* A big part of the problem for the Cavs lately: Taking care of the ball. But
they aren’t alone in that department. On Sunday, the Heat committed 22
turnovers in an upset loss to Milwaukee at home. The Heat are averaging a
little more than 18 turnovers in losses and around 15 in wins.
* Thompson is questionable for Tuesday’s game, Scott said. The 6-foot-9 rookie
forward sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter against Atlanta.
* The Cavs recalled swingman Christian Eyenga from their D-League team in
Canton on Monday. Eyenga was sent down Jan. 4 and averaged 8.9 points and 4.1
rebounds in nine games with the Charge.
* The Heat did not practice Monday, taking off just their second day since the
season started.
* Wade is likely out for Tuesday’s game. He hasn’t played since spraining his
ankle Jan. 13 in a loss at Denver.
Follow Sam Amico on Twitter @SamAmicoFSO
