Dribbles: Cavs fall to .500, and look far too comfortable there

Random dribbles following the Cavaliers’ 124-116 road loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

1. Eight games in, the Cavs are 4-4. That sounds about right. They look like a .500 basketball team, and there’s nothing wrong with being a .500 basketball team. Unless, of course, you have considerably higher expectations.

2. The Cavs do. Their fans do. And after getting swept by the eventual champion Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, everyone was hoping to see some indication that this season could be different.

3. Instead, the Cavs keep providing examples of how much they resemble last season’s team. Some good stretches. Some stretches where you wonder what they’re doing. Too many possessions where getting a stop, securing a rebound and making a sound decision seem like an awful lot to ask.

4. Yes, it’s early. Very early. Nobody should be making playoff predictions based on eight games. But recognizing familiar problems doesn’t require waiting until April. These are things the Cavs were supposed to be working on before the season even started.

5. Wednesday’s biggest issue was that they barely gave themselves a chance. They missed 12 of their first 16 shots, trailed 37-20 after the first quarter and eventually fell behind by 25. On the road. Against a contender. That’s a lot of basketball to spend trying to undo your own start.

6. And this was a Thunder team missing three starters in Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace. Oklahoma City still beat the Cavs twice in three nights. The Cavs had a chance to respond to Monday’s loss and instead spent most of the rematch chasing.

7. The Cavs had injury issues, too. Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson were out, and Jarrett Allen left late in the first quarter with a right knee injury and didn’t return. Losing Allen is significant, especially for a team already having trouble finishing defensive possessions. His status is now a concern beyond this loss.

8. But the poor start was already underway before Allen went down. His absence made things harder. It doesn’t explain why the Cavs weren’t better prepared to compete from the opening tip.

9. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander followed his 43-point performance Monday with 42 more. That’s 85 points in two games against a team that knew stopping him was the first order of business. Nobody expects the Cavs to shut him down. Making him somewhat less comfortable would have helped.

10. Then there was Ajay Mitchell with 23 points and rookie Bennett Stirtz with 16 off the bench. The Thunder keep finding production around their star, even with so much of their regular lineup unavailable. That’s what the Cavs are trying to become, a team whose habits hold up regardless of who’s playing.

11. Donovan Mitchell did what he could late, scoring 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. His three late 3-pointers helped get the Cavs within six. Give him credit for continuing to compete, but the Cavs need to put themselves in position for those shots to win games.

12. James Harden finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and six assists after a scoreless first quarter. Mario Hezonja added 12 points and eight boards. There were contributions. There just wasn’t enough sustained, connected basketball to make them count.

13. The Cavs did open the second half with a 9-0 run. Good. Then the Thunder scored the next seven. That’s been part of the frustration, too. The Cavs show they can play at the required level, then struggle to stay there.

14. Meanwhile, the rebounding concerns aren’t going away. Neither is the tendency to lose focus for stretches. Monday’s loss was full of those familiar problems⁠, and Wednesday offered little reassurance. Oklahoma City also held a 21-12 advantage in fast-break points. The Cavs can’t keep making the game easier for good opponents.

15. They can beat the Nets and Wizards. They’ve already done that. What everyone wants to see is whether they can consistently beat teams they might actually have to get through to win something meaningful. Two losses to the shorthanded Thunder won’t inspire much confidence there.

16. That doesn’t mean this roster can’t get better. It means there hasn’t been enough evidence yet to believe it will go further than last season’s. Some nights, the Cavs look capable of finishing near the top of the East. Other nights, the middle of the standings looks entirely appropriate.

17. Next come the 76ers at home Friday, followed by the Knicks on Saturday. More opportunities against the type of teams the Cavs need to handle. They’re also 1-3 on the road, so eventually this has to travel, too.

18. There are 74 games left. Plenty of time to change the picture. But at 4-4, the Cavs aren’t being misunderstood. Their record reflects how they’ve played. If they want to be viewed as something better, they’ll have to start showing something better.