Cavaliers Practice: The State Of The Cavs
A quick look at the standings will tell you that LeBron James‘ homecoming hasn’t exactly been a party with the Cleveland Cavaliers. At 19-19, the Cavs sit at sixth in the Eastern Conference heading into tonight’s road tilt with the Phoenix Suns, which is a bit of a disappointment for a team that’s expected to contend for a title this year.
With LeBron resting for the last eight games, the Cavs have gone on a 1-7 binge, losing those games by an average margin of 13.6 points per game. It’s no secret that this team needs its homecoming King, but after shootaround this morning in Phoenix, LeBron said he’s still a game-time decision.
“I’m a little sore, a little tight, which I figured,” he said. “I haven’t done no basketball as far as live drills in two weeks so my body’s a little sore.”
James participated in live drills yesterday before the coaches eventually pulled him. Though he said he was still hurting a little bit from that practice, most of Twitter was fixated on his attending the NCAA Football National Championship game last night in Dallas, TX, to cheer on his Ohio State Buckeyes.
I feel same way after flying 2,000 miles RT@mcten: LeBron remains a game-time decision tonight. Says he's sore from yesterday, but not hurt.
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) January 13, 2015
When asked what time he got back to Phoenix from the game, James replied, “12-12:30. I gained an hour when I came back. Is that OK?”
Whether or not you think LeBron James should have been at that game with the Cavs playing Phoenix tonight, Cleveland desperately needs him back in the lineup with the team bruising from injuries and five consecutive losses.
From head coach David Blatt’s perspective, however, James returning to the lineup is not a quick fix for all the Cavaliers’ problems.
Shawn Marion will play tonight after missing the last two games with a hip injury, but even if James does join Marion in returning to the lineup tonight, Blatt believes this team still needs some time to mesh.
“The mere fact that they come back doesn’t make us whole, we have to have some time together and get guys in game shape and begin to gel with everyone on the floor,” he said. “It’s certainly a good feeling to have a fuller, if not almost complete roster.”
That gelling process could take some time with three notable new additions to the team. The Cavs recently acquired Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith from the New York Knicks in a three-team trade that shipped away Dion Waiters. They followed that up with a deal that brought in former Denver Nuggets center Timofey Mozgov.
Smith provided the Cavs with a 27-point outburst in a game against the Golden State Warriors, but in his other two games as a Cavalier, he’s totaled four points on 2-of-15 shooting. Shumpert has yet to play for Cleveland due to a shoulder injury and Mozgov is averaging 11.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game after two games with the Cavs.
Against a high-flying team that likes the push the tempo in the Phoenix Suns, it wouldn’t be surprising to see LeBron sit out one more night, regardless of where he was watching the football game last night. But for the reeling Cavs, getting him back out on the court is just step No. 1 in trying to reassemble this big-name roster back into a title contender.