Well the Cavs didn't lose two in a row last season until February, nor did they lose at home until February. They've done both in two games this season. This isn't your 66-win season anymore, Toto.
It's only been two games, but to date there's been a lot of talk about what needs to be done and knowing how to get there, but not of lot of … well … actually getting it done. Austin Carr kept saying during the second half Wednesday night that the Cavs had gotten out of presason mode. Pardon me, and with all respect, but shouldn't preseason mode have ended with the tipoff on opening night? While the Cavs have stubbed their toe twice, Boston has won twice and Orlando won without Rashard Lewis.
The Cavs have lost at home to a team with strong big men (Boston) and on the road to a team with more athletic big men (Toronto). Suddenly the Cavs look like they have two aging big men trying to fit in rather than two big men who can help LeBron James. A few wins can change this, but right now the Cavs seem a ways from Boston and Orlando.
In fact, the Raptors looked pretty good — like a playoff team. If they're that improved and the Wizards are that improved, lump the Cavs in with those two teams, Boston and Orlando and Miami and Chicago and Detroit and … well … suddenly the East doesn't seem to be the Cavs to claim anymore.
It's a long way to go and the reigning MVP is on the roster, but a lot went right a year ago en route to the 66 wins. It was almost idyllic. This season looks like it might be a little more challenging.
Perhaps a lot more challenging. As in 52-wins-and-the-fourth-seed-in-the-playoffs challenging.
That's not the end of the world, mind you. When you go into the playoffs with LeBron James you always have a chance. The plan is for the Cavs to be playing their best at that point. They well may, because that's what's happened the last few years (even with Orlando's buzzsaw).
It's just that right now that time looks and feels like it's about three exits down the road.
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In the same breaths, Austin also was saying that Mo Williams' ridiculous flop like a Nova Scotia lox was an outrageous non-call, so I really don't put much weight into what the Cavaliers' biggest fan employee has to say for himself.
i'm in favor that larry.
and while their at it they can get rid of their potato head version of doug collins.
Alan,
As long as Gilbert owns the team, that is the only type of announcer that we will get: yes-men that don't criticize the team. I'm not saying Reghi was great, or even good, but at least he called it like he saw it. Fred and AC call it like Gilbert WANTS them to see it.
These guys obviously haven't figured out how to play together. The combination of a short exhibition season, the flu that kept half the team off the court and the "Never play your players in an exhibition game, because they might get hurt" notion.
To make matters worse, the guy who designed the offense that functioned well last year is now the coach of the Pistons.
Whether they're going to sort it in 15-20 games, whether it takes 40 or whether the old Loverboy song* was correct, I don't know. These guys are, on the whole, smart and hard-working, so I'd assume they'll figure something out. But I don't know how well it'll work and it is gonna be ugly for at least a while
* "Pig and Elephant DNA Just Won't Splice", of course.
Reghi called it like he saw it? Unless he saw it as a hollering self-promoting homer, I'm not really sure what that means. In the Cavaliers' entire local telecast history, the sole Cavaliers TV guy that hasn't had Stevie Wonder's eyes and P.T. Barnum's mouth is Matt Guokas.
Oh, come on, Geoff. The flu excuse … again? A short exhibition season? Hate to break the news to you, but Bryan Colangelo's overhaul of his roster made Mangini's overhaul of the roster look like the epitome of stability. If any team should be trying to find its way right now, it's Toronto.
And wait a minute … you say the absence of the same guy that designed the "give the ball to LeBron at the top of the key and let's see what happens next" offense is another excuse? Oy.
They'll be fine, any team with LeBron on it will be fine. Which is precisely why he ain't comin' back next season. But please, put the excuses to bed.
Alan, I know you can only feel good by telling everyone that they're wrong, regardless of what they said, but I didn't realize you also couldn't read.
What I said: They don't know how to play together. After listing three reasons they looked so bad, I said it was going to take a while, and I didn't know how well it could be done. Only you could be able to mangle that
An excuse is saying something like "When Williams, Gibson, Parker, James and Varejao were on the floor, they outscored Toronto 32-21– and they got off to a 28-7 start against Boston. They just need to put a few more runs like that together."
I also like how you perceived a criticism– the Cavs didn't replace the coach who improved them from 45 wins to 66– as an excuse. And I didn't realize that you were such a homer that you credited them all to the addition of Mo Williams and Joe Smith.
They know how to play together. They just don't care for their roles. Not to mention several of those current roles is a wrong role. O'Neal will never acquiesce to his role, let alone let Williams be second dog. Which is why they got the wins last season, a tweener guard that could handle the ball when necessary and shoot outside as second dog. No, it wasn't because of Milk Dud Head. He just happened to be there, as were the assistant coaches. You could have coached them to 50 wins, with no assistants. And Varejao should be backing up O'Neal, not Ilgauskas. That fork in Ilgauskas' back has been stuck in there for years. Can't wait until he gets the itch to start launching his three-point Scud missiles. That's always fun.