For fans in Cleveland, hope can be hard to muster when it comes to sports. Years of disappointing seasons can callous the hearts of any diehard fans; to be a fan of Cleveland sports it takes an additional level of grit and love for your city. So, when the Cavaliers began the season with an unprecedented undefeated streak the city’s faithful quickly rallied behind a team finally rewarding them for their patronage. When the Cavaliers did eventually drop a close game in which they had come back from a 20-point deficit against the reigning champion Celtics, it seemed like the Cavs had still secured a moral victory in showing that even when the shots weren’t falling, they could play with the best.
Since that game on November 21st, the Cavaliers have lost some of their spark, dropping two consecutive games to the Hawks before losing their fourth game of the season against the Heat on Sunday. The Cavs are now 6-4 in their last ten games and out of contention for the NBA Cup. Without any additional spark to aid in motivating the team, they now face down the grueling trek, which can be the middle of the NBA season. The main opponent now isn’t the team standing across from the Cavaliers, but rather regression to the mean. If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, the easiest example can be found in the midseason slump experienced by the Guardians this past season, as the team’s offense came to a screeching halt after the all-star break before a slight uptick in the playoffs.
While the Cavs’ record has certainly regressed over the past ten games, each loss has come with an excuse or reasoning as to why the team may have not performed to the standard we’ve come to expect this season. In their most recent loss, the Cavaliers played the majority of the game without star PF Evan Mobley who injured his ankle during the game. Without his addition of size, the Cavs struggled to find consistency on both sides of the ball and couldn’t find a way to win against the Heat. Fortunately, Mobley’s injury was less serious than many feared and there is a possibility that we could see him in action as soon as the buzz around the team has been that he is feeling good and in good spirits.
Even if the Cavaliers were to lose Mobley for a short stretch, there is reason to think the team is primed for a resurgence as we draw closer to the end of the year. Through New Year’s Eve, the Cavs are set to face only three opponents with records over .500: the Nuggets, Warriors and Lakers. All three have faced their own share of adversity as they currently sit with a combined 11-19 over their last ten games, respectively. With teams slowly falling to the grind of the season, the Cavs have an opportunity to renew a winning streak and attempt to further their lead over the Celtics for the first spot in the Eastern Conference.
For fans who remember many of the dark days of past seasons, even the thought of jockeying for the first spot in the East, much less the NBA, would be a dream even despite a potential midseason slump. In this league, however, being satisfied with your team’s success is one of the best ways to hinder it. The adversity the Cavaliers are currently facing in a slump is a potentially instrumental opportunity for coach Kenny Atkinson to instill a “comeback culture” into the team and teach them how to dig themselves out of a slump. To win the NBA finals this team will have to face adversity in both the teams they play and the way in which they are able to manage themselves when things don’t go their way. The Cavaliers have continued to find ways to win and grit out individual games, but can they find a way to rebound when they haven’t been playing up to standard? It’s well known in Cleveland that overcoming a deficit in an NBA Playoff series is not a task for the faint of heart. For this team, this is where you test yourself and see if you can spring back and win.
At the end of the day, even if the team does enter a slight mid-season slump, they’ve amassed a win total to cushion themselves while they learn and grow. That being said, with a relatively light schedule ahead and a team that has always seemed hungry for more, there is no doubt in my mind that the Cavaliers are preparing for another run. There is only one thing that this team knows how to do and that is simply to Let ‘em Know.
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