Cavs Need Consistency To Break Current Reputation
When the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks in last year's playoffs, they were quickly given the reputation of being a "soft" team for their lack of physicality in the paint.
While some of that criticism has been deserved at times, this team is looking to rewrite the current narrative. Jarrett Allen touched on this last week.
"I think everything in this league is warranted, in terms of getting a reputation," said Allen last Friday. "But I don't think in this league reputations always should stick. Every team goes through things, every team has ups and downs and it's up to us to finally break that reputation."
Cleveland stepped up and showed what a physical and determined Cavalier team can look like last Friday with a win over the one-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves. They also showed resilience in their come-from-behind victory against the one-seeded Boston Celtics last Tuesday.
However, in between those games was a puzzling loss to the Atlanta Hawks and a 20-point defeat at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday night. In those losses, the Cavs have been both outrebounded and outscored in the paint combined.
Mar 1, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Jarrett Allen (31) is defended by Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart (28) in the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
© Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
Yes, the Cavs have been decimated with injuries to Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Max Strus. Figuring out effective rotations and lineups can't be easy for J.B. Bickerstaff can't be easy right now. But the Hawks and Nets were both down key players in their matchup too.
Right now, facing adversity, with their back against the wall, is the perfect time for Cleveland to officially flip the script. They're going to need to be a little more consistent for that to happen though.
