There’s a certain familiar feeling that creeps in when you watch this Cavaliers team right now. Not panic. Not even frustration, really.
More like that uneasy sense that something isn’t quite lining up the way it’s supposed to.
This was one of those nights. Again.
The Cavs didn’t collapse early. They didn’t no-show. They didn’t seem to quit. They were right there, hanging around, doing just enough to make you think a fourth-quarter push was coming. And then it didn’t.
Chicago took control, Cleveland didn’t respond, and the Bulls walked out with a 127-111 home win Wednesday that felt heavier than a mid-December loss probably should. Again.
That’s where the concern lives. Not in the record alone. Not in the injuries. But in how often these games are all starting to look the same.
The Cavs (15-13) trailed by seven entering the fourth. That’s manageable. That’s exactly where Donovan Mitchell has lived for most of the past two seasons. But this time, the Cavs never got traction.
They were outscored 32-23 in the final quarter, turned the ball over five times, missed shots they’ve missed too often lately, and, most glaringly, couldn’t string together stops.
That’s the part that keeps popping up.
The Bulls (11-15) are not a good team. But they do know who they are. They play fast. They run. They punish mistakes. And Cleveland gave them plenty of those. Twenty turnovers. Long rebounds off missed threes. Live-ball miscues that turned into open-floor opportunities.
Chicago didn’t have to get creative. The Cavs did the hard part for them. Yeah, again.
And yes, the Cavs missed shots. They went 12-of-39 from three. That’s not going to work against anyone, let alone a team that wants to turn every miss into a track meet. Until Cleveland finds its perimeter rhythm again, nights like this are going to stay uncomfortably close to the surface.
Mitchell did what Mitchell does. Thirty-two points. Eleven-of-23 shooting. Five assists. He tried to drag things back into order.
Jaylon Tyson was excellent again, scoring 21 points and continuing to look like someone who belongs in the rotation every night. Darius Garland chipped in 15 and six assists. De’Andre Hunter, now coming off the bench, had a solid debut in that role.
Individually, there were things to like. Collectively, though, the Cavs still look like a team searching for its footing.
That’s why the record matters less than the trend. They’ve dropped seven of their last 10. One of the wins required a 48-point masterpiece from Mitchell just to survive Washington.
This loss came against a Chicago team that had lost eight of nine and was coming off a home defeat to New Orleans. Those aren’t games a contender shrugs off.
Still, context matters. It’s December. There are more than 50 games left. Lineups are shifting. Roles are evolving. The Cavs are not broken, and they are certainly not done. But they are also not the team many expected to see at this point, injuries or not.
Right now, Cleveland looks ordinary. Capable, but inconsistent. Dangerous in flashes, yet unable to sustain it on both ends for long stretches.
That doesn’t mean blow it up. It means sharpen it.
Defense has to travel again. Turnovers have to come down. The three-point shooting has to normalize. And the identity that carried them last season has to resurface with some urgency.
Sadly, we’ve been saying all this same stuff for about two weeks.
The Cavs will get another crack at the Bulls on Friday, this time at home. It’s not a referendum. It’s not a must-win. But it is another data point.
And right now, Cleveland could use a few better ones.
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Thanks Sam,
I know that WAS difficult for you, optimistic fellow that you are, but realism is also a trait you display. It’s as you said, not the team many expected to see at this point. Me 2 !
They elected to “remain status quo” in the off season, so they thought… However, as some have noted, rightfully so, they let Jerome go, & also lost Nyang to trade, losing both’s aggressiveness and their 3pt shooting from the bench ! ! I even think Hunter misses Jerome’s inspiring presence, shooting, & play making too!
This year’s “Status quo” team was a team that got devastated by an Indiana team in the playoffs & seems to haven’t even got over that shooting nightmare yet–with some injuries now extenuating and prohibiting any rebuilding cohesion !
But Kudos, Sam, You nailed it in your analysis–they need 3 simple things–put the ball IN the basket, whether it be the three point SHOT, or the lay-up, Stop the stupid forced-pass or desperation-pass turnovers, and play the REAL DEFENSE the Cav’s Played last year protecting the basket.
Oh Gee, that’s basketball isn’t it !?!
Another Oh Gee, Is it too late to move Darius & get two or three from Memphis including Jerome,,, for Christmas present I mean???
Ty Jerome hasn’t played this year. How would he help? Him playing 70 games last year was an anomaly. His yearly games played totals are 31,33,48,45,2,70,0 (so far).
No team will win a chip with Allen as the center. You can’t be a finesse player and not shoot 3s. Why wouldn’t you practice that all summer and why wouldn’t a coach encourage it? No team will win a chip with Mitchell as the 2 guard. He needs the ball too much. He should be the 1 even thought he doesn’t want to. Would a Mitchell/Tyson backcourt beat a Mitchell/Garland backcourt? With the roughness that’s allowed I believe it would. I’ve noticed our offense frequently has 4 or 5 guys below the foul line. The 2 corners are both on the end line a lot. There is no way to get back on def even when you try. What if someone would always cover the inbounder after a made basket? If our guards get beat on defense, why don’t they leak out like the other team does? Frequently Garland or Mitchell walk the ball up the floor allowing defense to get set. Mobley pushes the ball more than the guards. Perhaps Jordan Ott was coach of the year and not Kenny Atkinson.