No they won't. A healthy LeBron can't change the fact that the Cavs have weak bigs, a healthy LeBron won't help Kyrie and KLove not suck on defense, a healthy LeBron can't change the fact that the East top teams are actually good this year...

 

They won't be winning playoff series with their defense, but their offense had a chance to be best in the league, and still does. It isn't like any of the top teams in the East are defensive juggernauts and could shut down their offense. Let's not forget they went on a 13-4 run before Lebron went down 2 weeks ago. Counting out a team with that much talent while they are just going through injuries is a little premature.

The problems with Cleveland:

 

-no defensive talent

-no depth

-For however good coach might be, nobody is listening to him

-Kyrie is a clubhouse cancer

-JR Smith is a clubhouse cancer

-LBJ is starting to sound like a clubhouse cancer or is at least trying to push the coach out

-LBJ is mortal, huge workload over the years starting to show

-Kevin Love is not that great

 

I think the total lack of cohesion is the real problem. Everything else is potentially doable if they weren't so at odds with the coach and one another

They won't be winning playoff series with their defense, but their offense had a chance to be best in the league, and still does. It isn't like any of the top teams in the East are defensive juggernauts and could shut down their offense. Let's not forget they went on a 13-4 run before Lebron went down 2 weeks ago. Counting out a team with that much talent while they are just going through injuries is a little premature.

 

Atlanta's D is pretty damn good.

The addition of Mozgov and especially Shunpert will help their defense a lot. With guys like Mike Miller, Marion, Thompson, and JR. coming off the bench, that isn't the definition of "no depth". Locker room is a concern, but winning solves that.

 

Look, if LeBron wasn't injurred the last 10 games or so and they went on to go 1-8, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation. If they continue to fall into mediocrity with a healthy Lebron for an extended period of time, then yea we could write them off.

Atlanta's D is pretty damn good.

 

They are good, but they aren't shutting down the firepower of Cleveland for 7 games kind of good. We aren't talking about the Pacers of the past 2 years, the 2011 Bulls, or the great Celtics or Pistons D of the past decade here.

They are good, but they aren't shutting down the firepower of Cleveland for 7 games kind of good. We aren't talking about the Pacers of the past 2 years, the 2011 Bulls, or the great Celtics or Pistons D of the past decade here.

 

Meh, but their offense is better than those teams.

Meh, but their offense is better than those teams.

 

Who knows, we're just playing theoretical matchups right now. Until they've proven they can't win when they are healthy, writing them off would be premature.

Who knows, we're just playing theoretical matchups right now. Until they've proven they can't win when they are healthy, writing them off would be premature.

 

Yeah totally. It's not even all star break. Last year we thought Portland was greatest team ever prior to then.

Of course no team in NBA history under .500 this far into the season has won an NBA title so....history is against them. Think of all the teams in the east with legit big guys that will destroy them. Wizards, Hawks and Bulls...

Edited January 14, 201511 yr by Jenksismybitch

 

i need a 3rd person impartial point of view of what is going on in Cle. i just read

the Cle players are not listening to the coach when he calls for certain plays, or

changes the game plan.

 

why??? is he really that bad of a coach??

Of course no team in NBA history under .500 this far into the season has won an NBA title so....history is against them. Think of all the teams in the east with legit big guys that will destroy them. Wizards, Hawks and Bulls...

 

The thing is you could name weaknesses from all the top teams in the East. Washington doesn't have reliable perimeter scoring, Atlanta lacks rebounding and legit sixth man, Toronto doesn't have front court depth and is 1-4 against Bulls and Cavs, and we all know Bulls have their own issues. OTOH, the Cavs have as much strengths as any teams in the East.

 

I feel like the issue here is there were such high expectations for that team to be good right out of the gate, even taking into account the adjustments they need to make in learning to play in the new system with new players, but no one expected them to fall below .500. If you look at it objectively though, they went through an adjustment period for the first 10 games or so, then went out a 13-4 stretch before Lebron went down. Then they lost Varejao for the season and locker room starts to divide during their losing streak. I feel like a lot of the panic right now is just overreaction. Objectively, they aren't that far from our original predicitions. When healthy, this team is still one of the best teams in the East, and there's no reason to write them off now.

 

P.S. I think Shumpert could be the glue guy for their team. He will bring skills to the 2 guard position that Miller and Marion just doesn't have.

Rose looks like he's got some lift tonight. Good sign.

shut noah down. let him get healthy...

I hate Nene.

Noah out with sprained ankle.

LOSnelL

Jimmy struggling, slump?

Wtf happened to this team?

We plateaued after the Rockets win. Everything was downhill from there.

Jimmy struggling, slump?

 

I pray that it's that and he's not just coming back down to earth.

 

No coincidence that they've been bad when he's been mediocre.

They are just too small without both Dunleavy and McDermott. They get killed when they run the two small guards out there. Plus without Noah, the front line defense is just terrible.

Incredibly disappointed in this team. Maybe barely a 50 win team in this crap conference.

Jimmy's gotta give em more than 10 and average D

Bulls give up 60 points in a half like nothing now. Unreal the lack of effort on D. I thought they'd be getting better now, they are tailspinning.

Someone with Synergy subscription can back me up here, the Bulls are just awful this year against the pick and roll plays.