Is there cause for concern in Cleveland?
The Cavaliers are amid a brutal stretch, having lost seven of their last 10. While it’s been proven to be foolish to worry about the Cavs’ regular-season woes in past seasons, the 2017-18 campaign has had a different feel.
Defense has been a glaring issue for Cleveland all season, but the team’s offense has endured significant struggles throughout the season as well. And according to Cleveland.com’s Joe Vardon, the Cavaliers might feel that their leader is to blame for this.
“Players have grumbled that (LeBron) James has slowed the ball movement, holding onto the ball until he sees an “assist” pass, rather than moving it quickly,” Vardon writes.
The Cavs suffered one of their worst losses of the season Thursday, dropping a 133-99 blowout defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. James posted a game-high 26 points in the contest, but he uncharacteristically finished the game with just one assist. As Vardon notes, it was just the 10th time in James’ 15-year career that he logged less than two assists in a game.
The Cavaliers have plenty of time to figure things out before the postseason, but the last thing they need on top of their on-court struggles is locker room turmoil.
