Trust Falling: The Cavs Chemistry Struggles

This is normal now. We knew this it would be like this with LeBron James returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers, bringing with him championship expectations and the accompanying media circus, but that doesn’t make it any easier to handle. Each loss brings the sky that much closer to Earth. The narrative can be overwhelming.

Kyrie Irving had zero assists. Why is LeBron being so cryptic? Whither Dion Waiters? What’s the deal with the Cavs in Utah? LeBron’s ratings dropped in NBA 2K15! Is David Blatt in over his head?

The Cavs—and Cavs fans along with them—are in the midst of one big trust fall right now. I think we can agree that the “fall” part has begun,¹ but the trust and the catch haven’t happened yet. And that’s okay.

We have known since July that this team would take time. We’ve known this, and we’ve told ourselves this, but that doesn’t make it less frustrating when the team plays poorly. The Cavs battled back in the second half, outscoring the Jazz by 10 in the third quarter, and—wait, stop. They had to battle back against the Utah Jazz? The Utah Jazz that won 25 games last year?

Yes. Yes they did. That’s what happens when the opponent shoots 58.5% in the first half. That’s what happens when a young team gets a whiff of belief at home against a marquee opponent.

https://twitter.com/HPbasketball/status/530383368488108033

It’s a fascinating to watch the battling storylines surrounding the Cavs. Everyone understands that this season is in its infancy. No one is seriously ripping this team just yet. The takes have been more warm than hot, as no one wants to be on record having blasted the Cavs when they rip off a winning streak. Everyone understands that it is November, and the NBA season doesn’t really take shape until Christmas.

So why do these storylines exist at all? Why is it so frustrating?

It’s frustrating because so many teams in the league have what the Cavs don’t right now: experience playing together. Other teams have chemistry. Other teams have core players who have been in the same jersey for more than a few months.

Look at the Cavs’ opponents thus far: New York, Chicago, Portland, and Utah. Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, and J.R. Smith have been Knicks since 2011. Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson, and Jimmy Butler have been together in Chicago since 2009. LaMarcus Aldridge, Nicolas Batum, and Wesley Matthews have been Blazers since 2009, with Damian Lillard joining the fold in 2012. Even the young Jazz’s core pieces—Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors, and Enes Kanter—have been together since 2011.

Say what you will about those players as individuals. The takeaway is that they have been running together for years, and that matters. Playing coherently takes time, especially on defense.² It isn’t a coincidence that many of the NBA’s top teams are the most stable, the San Antonio Spurs being the ideal.³ LeBron’s Heat’s rapid assembly and winning was exceptional.

Again, we know this, and we have known this. But with all of the rumors and storylines and body language, a reminder never hurts.

It’s impossible to ignore the bad things that have been happening on-court, even if you try. They shouldn’t be ignored—they should be learned from. The Cavs should be comparing the results of contested one-pass jumpers with multi-pass possessions that end in layups.

We can only hope that LeBron was being prescient, not condescending, when he spoke of process and breaking bad habits and learning how to win. We can only hope that the players and coaches on this team will trust each other, and soon. We can only hope that these first ugly games are the basketballing equivalent of corporate team-building exercises.

Assuming that the Cavs will get better, they will do so through trust, belief, and confidence. It would behoove them to do so before they fall too far.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJQtx4DCi5U

1. Insert your jokes about LeBron stumbling on defense in Utah here [↩]
2. The Cavs’ defense was wanting against Utah, but there were some encouraging “almost there!” rotations that should look better in time. [↩]
3. Others of note: The Z-Bo/Gasol Grizzlies, the Durant/Westbook Thunder, the Lob City Clippers, even the DeRozan/Lowry Raptors. [↩]