The Cavaliers‘ last two opponents are a reminder that success can be fleeting in the NBA, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Cleveland got a much-needed win in New York this afternoon to solidify its hold on seventh place, two days after getting blown out in Atlanta. The Knicks and Hawks have both fallen on hard times after surprising success last season, and the Cavs are hoping to avoid the same fate.
Cleveland has already experienced a prolonged slump after being tied for second in the East on February 10. Injuries to rotation players have been an issue, but the problems run much deeper, according to Vardon. The Cavaliers were regressing on defense before Jarrett Allen fractured a finger early in March, and coach J.B. Bickerstaff called out his team for complacency as it began to slide down the standings.
The team hasn’t really gotten over the loss of Ricky Rubio, who suffered a torn ACL in late December, Vardon adds. Cleveland’s defense was third in the league with Rubio, but it has since fallen to 12th.
“It was more his spirit, even, than it was just the stuff on the floor,” Bickerstaff said. “It’s hard to put into words. Like, he has a unique ability to raise the level of each individual that he’s playing with and impact them in a positive way. We missed the stuff that he did on the court, so I don’t want to minimize that. But like, to me, it was him as a human being and his personality that made us unique, the way we were, and as good as we were, to be honest with you.”
There’s more from Cleveland:
- The Cavs are preparing for their first postseason since LeBron James left, and Kevin Love believes it will be a valuable experience for his young teammates, Vardon adds. “I think it’s not lost on us, and certainly not lost on me, how major and paramount an experience like this would be for this group, especially this young group in particular,” Love said. “Not going to next year saying ‘playoffs are the goal’ type of thing. Like, we want to see that this year and be able to make the next step.”
- Allen and Evan Mobley remain sidelined, but there’s still hope that they might return before the regular season ends April 10, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com. Both have been ruled out for Sunday’s contest with the Sixers, which will mark the 15th straight missed game for Allen and the fourth for Mobley, who sprained his left ankle Monday. “I don’t know when that game may be, but we’re hopeful that maybe one or two of the final games we’ll have both those guys back,” Bickerstaff said.
- Collin Sexton, who had surgery in November for a torn meniscus in his left knee, went through a 15-minute workout before Friday’s game, Fedor states in a mailbag column. There’s no expectation that he’ll return for the playoffs, a source tells Fedor, but he continues to make progress.