|
#NBAFrontOffice dialogue on the Cleveland Cavaliers A month into the 2014-15 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are not the well-oiled, unstoppable machine that many expected. The high-profile pieces have struggled to fit alongside each other, with all the worst expectations on the defensive end coming true and little of the offensive expectations coming to fruition. Head coach David Blatt has seemed overwhelmed at times, a testament to the difficulty of coaching in the NBA extending well past what you draw up on a dry erase board. Despite a rousing, feel-good, blowout 106-74 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night, this team's problems are far from solved. From a basketball ops perspective, it might be too early to panic, but it's never too early to be concerned. Part of managing a team is recognizing the difference between underwhelming results and underwhelming process. The team to which these Cavs are too often compared -- the 2010-11 Miami Heat -- had underwhelming results (9-8 through their first 17 games) but with sound process. While their execution wasn't as smooth as desired out of the gate, the effort was there, and they still enjoyed a net rating of about 5 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Cavs barely score more than they allow (net rating of 0.1) and sleepwalk through their games. They could be 8-5 (instead of 6-7) and the issues would still be the same. As a front office, you're not looking to hit the red panic button so early in the year, but you're kidding yourself if you think this team looks like it is going to figure things out soon. Here are five fixes the Cavs must address in order to get their season heading in the right direction.
|
