As inappropriate as a plane crashing metaphor is in describing the month of March so far for the Cavaliers, I’m going to go there. Someone forgot to tell Mike Brown and company that these past four games, in which the Cavs have gone a sterling 0-4, were the ones his team were supposed to win–because it ain’t gonna get any easier over the next few weeks.
Associated Press photo
Somehow the Cavs still sit 3 1/2 games out of the last playoff spot in the East, mainly because Atlanta is doing their best Cavalier impression and have won exactly one of their last ten games. The putrid Knicks have risen from the grave and now sit tied with the Cavs. Can you feel the electric intensity in the air as the race for the 8th playoff seed in the East heats up?!?!? Sad, but this is what being a Cavaliers fan in 2014 amounts to.
The Cavs kicked off this four-game skid with a 14 point loss to the Grizzlies, 110-96. Someone also forgot to tell Mike Brown that the Cavs need to play four quarters against a decent team like Memphis. After holding a 10 point lead at halftime, the Cavs got absolutely posterized by Zac Randolph and the Griz in the second half:
Pay attention to around the 1:30 mark of that video as Randolph throws aside Tyler Zeller like a ragdoll as he makes his way to the hoop. With Anderson Varejao only playing nine minutes against New York on Saturday after missing the previous 12 games, the Cavs have been sorely lacking in size down around the rim. Spencer Hawes plays soft to no defense, and Zeller is still looking for ways to impose himself on the court. What momentum Zeller had going this season seems to have been lost with the introduction of Hawes. With no Wild Thing crashing the boards, the Cavs just can’t compete when big teams decide to get physical.
The Spurs then put on a passing clinic, showing everyone just how far away Cleveland is from having a good basketball team. Danny Green, ex-Cavalier, spit in our eye and scored 24 en route to a 122-101 massacre for San Antonio. I turned that game off about midway through the third quarter–I am not a masochist.
Must-win games against Charlotte and the Knicks followed, the latter on the night of Z’s jersey retirement.
The touching ceremony was fitting for one of the Cavs’ most loyal players, whether you agree with him being given the ultimate honor as a Cavalier or not.
Also, where has Anthony Bennett been in this losing streak? Aside from posting 14 points against the Spurs, he’s been invisible on the court in the small amount of minutes he’s been given. Time is running out to prove his rookie season wasn’t a complete bust.
The Suns, Warriors, Clippers, Heat, Thunder and Rockets are the next six games for the Cavs. All teams in playoff contention–all teams much better than the Cavs. The 24-win mark of last season has already been reached in this 2013-2014 campaign, with 18 games left in the season. But unless the Cavs pull something miraculous out of this last month of NBA basketball, can you call this season anything other than a huge disappointment?