CLEVELAND, Ohio – How much has the Cleveland Cavaliers grown after being one of the worst teams in the league in the past two seasons?
Tuesday night’s loss is Test A.
Of course, it was a bad result. I mean, they lost to the New York Knicks. But defense was not the problem. How many times in the past two years, when the Cavs were pointing fingers and lifting their palms, was that phrase accurate? What’s the over / under on those odds, Vegas? The turnaround at that end of the track, which continued against the Knicks, is remarkable. Even Collin Sexton recognizes this.
“I felt like it was last year, or the year before, and if we were missing out on so many photos, we probably would have missed by 20, 25, 30,” said Sexton. “But tonight we just continue to fight, we continue to play hard, we continue to fight. We are definitely growing. I can see the growth just because I’ve been here for three years. I know what kind of team we have. And I never played with a team like that. I’m excited.”
Sexton’s summary mimicked what his fellow defenseman Darius Garland gave.
“Take the lid off the edge. That was our biggest problem. We couldn’t make a shot, ”said Garland. “We made a great defense. Our defense brought us back to the game. The defense was there. We make them turn the ball. We just couldn’t get it right in the first half and that’s what put us in that hole and we couldn’t get back from it. “
Cavs hit 32 out of 88 on the field and 7 out of 32 in the 3 point range. It was their worst offensive display after destroying defenses and burning the nets for the first three nights. It happens.
Unlisted guys Andre Drummond and JaVale McGee together lost 40 of their 68 shooting attempts. The Cavs led twice throughout the night – 2-0 and 4-2. They made only four of the 23 final attempts in a depressing first quarter that forced them to climb back all night. They stagnated in the transition, scoring two fastbreak points in the second half after reaching 14 points in the first half. They went back to being hero ball and started making some low percentage pitches when adversity came. Difficult to win that way, let alone compete.
As Sexton and Garland said, the result being a single digit loss is surprising.
“I think we competed. I think we really gave up, ”said coach JB Bickerstaff. “It was not a lack of effort that led to this. We were experiencing something different. We had fired up to this point. So, tonight, we didn’t shoot and we have to learn to respond when things are not going well offensively. What is the next step? I think this is where we are working on and still working to grow. “
Another sign of this growth came moments after the loss. As Bickerstaff gathered his thoughts and prepared for his post-game Zoom meeting with reporters, Drummond left the locker room for a workout on the court. Then came Sexton, Garland, Dante Exum and Thon Maker.
On a disappointing night, when the Cavs lost their first game of the season, Bickerstaff saw a beacon of hope.
“It is going in the right direction. You have guys who care. You have guys who want to improve. The game is important to them, ”said Bickerstaff. “This is important and special. Speak with the character of our group. This is not in line with them. The fact that they are working there speaks to them. “
Culture has been a popular word since Bickerstaff replaced John Beilein. It is difficult to define. But that early morning moment provides a window.
Sexton was 6 out of 17. Garland was 6 out of 18. Exum missed all five attempts. Drummond was 7-of-13 on the field, 0-of-1 from beyond the arc and 4-of-10 from the foul line. Thon Maker did not play. He recorded six minutes throughout the season. But the quintet was not looking for a quick exit from the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Instead, an opportunity to fix what he considered the biggest obstacle to a 4-0 start.
“We are just workers. It doesn’t matter who came up with the idea. We were there working and that was it, ”said Garland. “We just had a bad game in our opinion.”
“I was missing some shots that I normally do, especially some of my floats and a lot of 3s,” said Sexton. “I’m kicking really well, but tonight I think I missed two corner kicks and I thought, ‘Damn, I wish I could have come back.’ I shot many of them after the game. I’ll be ready to go on Thursday against Indiana.
“I don’t think it went wrong for us. We just didn’t shoot. We had a lot of open looks in the first part, we just couldn’t buy anything to get in. Did we lose by nine? It was a very good game for us, just because we filmed so badly. We still fight. In addition, we gave up 95 points. It’s not a bad job tonight. “
Ninety-five points. Forty-three percent shot. Twenty-seven turnover. This is usually good enough in defense. And for the past two years, it has been an anomaly. The defensive standings for the entire Cleveland season really improved on Tuesday night. This victory, which was partially linked to the opponent, should not be lost because Cavs did not get the result they wanted against New York.
The Cavs got off to a better start than expected this season, pulling out three straight wins and beating the Philadelphia 76ers without Joel Embiid on Sunday. But given where they still stand as a franchise, wins and losses cannot be the only barometer for success. There must be other ways to define it. Growth, in any area, is one.
Bickerstaff said earlier this season that he doesn’t like the player’s development phrase. He sees his work as a teacher. It is to make the guys recognize what the winning basketball is like. Every night, no matter what the outcome, they provide an education.
“It’s about being honest,” said Bickerstaff. “Telling people the truth is the most important thing in creating what we are trying to create here.
“I think we will learn a lot. How do we take the next step and the next step is when things don’t go your way, how do you react? What is plan B? We have to go back to the gym and continue to prepare and find our Plan B and execute our Plan B. You obviously hate to take the loss, but you want to learn from it and be put in those positions so you can get Better. “
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