Cavs’ recent slide getting harder to explain away

The Cavaliers are slipping, and Brad Botkin of CBS Sports believes the trend is becoming difficult to ignore.

Cleveland has lost six of its last nine games, including Sunday’s overtime defeat to Charlotte in which the Cavs failed to score a single point in the extra session.

Botkin noted that going scoreless in an entire overtime period is a rarity, and doing so against one of the league’s weaker defenses only added to the concern.

Two nights earlier, Cleveland needed a 48-point effort from Donovan Mitchell just to escape Washington with a narrow win. Botkin pointed out that Mitchell has been forced into those types of performances too often, an issue Mitchell himself acknowledged after the game.

“This is a good win, but it’s also not a good win,” Mitchell said at the time. “We can’t be in this situation.”

Botkin argued that while good teams occasionally play down to competition, Cleveland has done so with increasing frequency. That stretch included a loss to Golden State despite the Warriors being without Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler, and Draymond Green.

Injuries have been a factor. Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, Sam Merrill, Lonzo Ball, and Larry Nance Jr. have missed significant time, while Evan Mobley is now sidelined with a calf strain.

Garland, in particular, has struggled to regain form following offseason toe surgery, Botkin noted.

There are still positives. Cleveland ranks around the top 10 in most efficiency metrics, and its core lineup has been dominant in limited minutes together.

But Botkin cautioned that once even one piece is missing, the margin quickly erodes.

With a difficult schedule ahead, Botkin suggested the Cavs may not find relief anytime soon.