Yahoo’s Chris Mannix has a new story on the chemistry issues in Cleveland and how Toronto and Boston (somewhat) have narrowed the talent gap.:
No, the sky is not falling in Cleveland. The Cavs remain atop the Eastern Conference standings and have the equalizer – James – that no team can account for. But teams can account for everyone else. Strategies are simple: Pick-and-roll Love to death, move the ball patiently against an opportunistic defense, and hope James doesn’t have a Herculean fourth quarter in him.
Irving remains a dynamic scorer, but the disconnect between Irving and James is real, several scouts and coaches told The Vertical, with the on-court chemistry between the two, said one scout who saw Cleveland play recently, “basically nonexistent.” Team sources insist the relationship is solid, that James is simply teaching, trying to raise Irving’s basketball IQ. No one understands Irving’s importance more than James, team sources told The Vertical, which is why no one is working harder than James to get the two All-Stars on the same page.
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The clock is ticking in Cleveland, with more questions now than the Cavaliers have answers. James continues to send cryptic motivational tweets into cyberspace and none of them has stuck. Tyronn Lue wants to play faster, and the rookie coach has ratcheted up his efforts to play smaller. James started at power forward in a win over Washington on Friday, a game Love sat out. Love was in the lineup on Saturday, but stapled to the bench in the fourth quarter, with Lue entrusting Tristan Thompson with the role of frontcourt enforcer against a Boston offense that targeted Love early and often.
No one enjoys watching the Cavs struggle more than me, but I hope you’re prepared to see the Cavaliers in the Finals. While they’re not dominating like Golden State or San Antonio, the Cavs are still huge favorites to reach the Finals and more than capable of winning the championship over either of those teams. They’re great, just not as great as they should be right now.
Anyone who followed the 2010 Celtics knows the playoffs are a different animal. Switches can be flipped.
These “chemistry issues” might be a bigger issue come June if the Cavs fall short and a frustrated Lebron demands change.
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