Oct 31, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward
Kevin Love(0) and forward
LeBron James(23) during the second half against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Cleveland won 114-108 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
LeBron James is asking for patience with his Cleveland Cavaliers, but should they get it
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After another troubling loss, this time against the Portland Trail Blazers (101-82) on Tuesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers were again left to answer question after question.
And, as always, standing as the team’s spokesman was LeBron James, who continued to defend his team.
Patience, he echoed.
That’s all LeBron James asks for.
There’s only one problem with that, though. This is the team that LeBron chose this past summer. He decided to join Kevin Love, Kyrie Irving and Dion Waiters in Cleveland, leaving Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade in Miami.
After the circus that was this past summer, we have to be honest with ourselves, as does LeBron. Ultimately, LeBron going back to the Cleveland Cavaliers was a basketball decision. Without saying it, he pretty much declared that this current Cavaliers team was/is better than any supporting cast that Pat Riley was going to manage to piece together in Miami.
He chose the better team. He knew the pressure that was going to come, after winning two NBA championships in Miami. Yet, he’s asking for patience.
"[via Damian Lillard scores 27 as Blazers stifle LeBron James, Cavs — ESPN.com/AP]“We have to understand what it takes to win. It’s going to be a long process. There’s been a lot of losing basketball around here for a few years,” James said.…James urged patience.“It’s like building a car from scratch. I’ve done that before,” he said. “I hated the process, it got on my nerves. I sent it back to get repainted 100 times. But once it was completely finished I was excited about it.”"
This is definitely not like building a car from “scratch,” LeBron.
It’s more like going to a car lot and handpicking the nicest car of the bunch. LeBron chose nearly every piece on this Cavaliers team. He even brought over some from his old team, the Miami Heat.
Stop, LeBron. Please stop.
With that said, he’s getting his patience. And he’ll continue to get it.
Although, the grace period that he’s under is only going to last for so long.
While I still believe the Cleveland Cavaliers are going to win a ton of games this season, on top of success in the NBA playoffs, there’s one thing that concerns me with this club.
It’s that they don’t have an identity yet. In 2010, the Miami Heat’s identity was clear from day one — it was defense.
The Cavaliers haven’t established one yet. If there’s any sign of concern that should be magnified, it’s that.
But it’s still too early. Too early to bury them. 1-2 is certainly not the best start in the world but, at the same time, it’s definitely not the end of the world.
For now, though, patience will have to do.
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