The Cleveland Cavaliers clinched another division title as they defeated the New York Knicks, 123-109. Does coach Tyronn Lue have what it takes to get the team back to the NBA Finals?
The Cleveland Cavaliers are ending the season on a high note. They have one game left against the team they faced on Monday in the New York Knicks, but business in the regular season has been handled.
The Cavaliers have won their fourth Central Division title. They also got their 50th win of the season. They are now one win shy of matching their record from last year.
However, this marks the 10th division title clinched by LeBron James. He’s the only player to do it with two different teams in the Miami Heat and Cavaliers. James can also play 82 games for the first time in his NBA career if he plays on Wednesday.
He is also the fifth player in NBA history with 700 assists and 700 rebounds in a season.
It is true when players, media, etc. say not to take all these moments for granted. There will be a day when James is no longer playing.
In year 15, he’s playing like it’s year three. He might not be averaging 30 points per game as he did during those early times, but his consistency and efficiency is the best it’s ever been this season. He’s a clear-cut MVP candidate.
#Cavs win 50th game and @KingJames wins his 10th straight division title - CLE polishes off pesky Knicks, 123-109; CLE, 46%FG, 19-45 3ptFG, 24-28FT | NYK, 52%FG, 11-30 3ptFG, 6-12FT; for #Cavs: @kevinlove, 28pts, 9-17FG, 6-13 3ptFG, 5reb, 2stl; @KingJames, 26pts, 11asst, 6reb. pic.twitter.com/KFmJX4oQCo
— Joe Gabriele (@CavsJoeG) April 10, 2018
The biggest question since the roster overhaul back in February is, while Kevin Love is Robin to James’ Batman, but can he stay healthy and be reliable during crunch time in the playoffs? Will the new acquisitions thrive and not be overwhelmed in the moment?
These are all questions that will be answered starting this weekend.
The thing that most Cavs fans should be worried about is not just the players, but head coach Tyronn Lue. It has already been a struggle for the squad since he returned last week. The Cavaliers were 9-1 with assistant coach Larry Drew taking over.
He obviously has experience as a head coach, and it showed in his rotations and how he called the game. Lue came back–and he changed everything up.
Never mess with perfection.
His stubbornness is going to potentially get him fired and cost the team a chance at another title.
King James Gospel
There’s no reason the Cavs should be down 30 to inferior teams, as they were against the Philadelphia 76ers. They shouldn’t have to play so hard to get wins against average clubs, yet they have.
For example, last week against the Washington Wizards, the Cavs were up by as many as 15 on them, but they came back and took the lead until the end of the fourth quarter.
Per usual, Lue didn’t make the necessary halftime adjustments. John Wall was destroying the team, and nothing was done to counteract the attack. Luckily, the Cavs were able to come back and win, but adjustments would have given them the lead throughout the contest.
It’s mistakes like those that can’t happen in the postseason. Teams will capitalize on it, and the game will be out of reach by the second quarter. It’s a shame, but we’ll see if he’ll coach this team up and get them on the right path.
The scary thing is nobody knows how talented this team can be. Injuries have kept them from full strength all season long except for one game against the Toronto Raptors. They won the game by six, but it doesn’t tell the story of how dominant the team was against them.
Everybody played their role and it was a well-oiled machine. They looked unbeatable on both ends of the floor. What was one of the major keys? Drew was the coach.
Good coaching goes a long way in the NBA. Look at the San Antonio Spurs without Kawhi Leonard, or the Boston Celtics without Kyrie Irving. Gregg Popovich and Brad Stevens know how to coach players.
Heck, even Alvin Gentry of the New Orleans Pelicans can be considered one of those coaches. He’s coached an average team without DeMarcus Cousins and an injury-prone Anthony Davis.
It’s easy to coach when you have your main player/players, but the real coaching comes in when you motivate the role players to get out of their comfort zone — and Popovich and Stevens do it well.
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Lue is going to have to coach at that level for the Cavs to get back to the NBA Finals. Will he be competent enough to make the right moves? It’s doubtful, but time will tell.