CHICAGO: Thirteen thoughts for 13 baskets by LeBron James in Friday’s 111-105 loss to the Chicago Bulls, extending the Cavs’ losing skid to three…
1. When the Cavaliers smashed the Detroit Pistons 104-81 on Nov. 18, LeBron James was genuinely excited about the play on both sides of the ball. The Cavs clogged the lane on Andre Drummond and limited the Pistons to 26 points in the paint. James called it “the best we’ve played all year” on offense and defense.
2. The players celebrated the convincing win and went their separate ways. With no games for five days, Tyronn Lue gave the players the weekend off. When they returned following the break, their defensive principles did not. They’ve been unraveling ever since.
3. The Cavs ranked 10th in the league after the win against the Pistons, limiting opponents to 40.3 points in the paint. Since that win against Detroit, they are 29th. Teams are averaging 51.7 points against them in the last six games, plunging them from 10th to 20th overall in the rankings.
4. The most egregious was Friday, when the Bulls pounded the Cavs inside for a staggering 78 points in the paint, handing the Cavs their first three-game losing streak since Dec. 1-5 last year. In other words, it’s the first three-game skid of Lue’s coaching career.
5. “We’ve got to get out of the honeymoon stage. That’s y’all headline for tomorrow. I know y’all going to use it,” James said. “You’ve got to play the game the right way. You’ve got to battle every night like we ain’t won nothing. Last year is last year and after ring night, it’s over with. Now it’s a new season and everybody is gunning for us every night and we have to understand that. The honeymoon stage is over and it’s time to play some real ball and be physical, especially in the trenches. Giving up 78 points is ridiculous. We’ve got to man up. Everybody.”
6. Kevin Love owned up to it and told me he was terrible in the first half defensively. Taj Gibson whipped the Cavs, making his first nine shots in scoring a season-high 23 points. Robin Lopez beat Love over the top for a couple of nifty hooks.
7. “They beat us at every position,” Lue said. “They out-toughed us. They lined us up and beat us one-on-one all night.”
8. The Cavs’ defensive issues aren’t limited to the paint, but that’s the most glaring right now. The Bulls and Bucks both struggled from the 3-point line, but the Clippers exposed the Cavs’ rotations by making 13 3s and shooting 42 percent from deep.
9. Strange moment in the locker room pregame. James Jones walked up to me and told me he was retiring after next season. A bit taken aback and not sure if he was serious or not, I learned he was and wrote about it here.
10. Now is hardly the time to panic. There is plenty of time to fix what’s ailing this team and the good news is most of it seems to be an effort and mental issue. This is still a dominant team that will win their share of games and Lue spoke this week about the complacency factor.
11. But it’s not getting any easier, either. The Raptors are now just a half-game behind the Cavs in the standings and have made it clear they want the top seed and home court advantage. They’ll be motivated to play Monday.
12. The Cavs will stay in Chicago Friday night and take Saturday off. They’ll fly to Toronto and practice Sunday in advance of Monday. It’s sure to be a physical practice.
13. “We’ve got to do better,” Lue said. “Concerned? I wouldn’t say that. We are a good team but right now we’re not playing like it. We’ll be better and that’s on me to make it better. That’s on me.”