Concerns Expressed About Cleveland Cavaliers’ Arena Floor

The 10-inch drop of Cleveland's court at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has raised concerns from NBA personnel such as Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James.

This past Wednesday night, the Cleveland Cavaliers suffered a 129-96 defeat to the Miami Heat.

During the game, Heat guard Dru Smith suffered a third degree ACL sprain after his leg slipped off of the floor, and is now out for the rest of the season.

In a recent article, The Athletic’s Joe Vardon writes about how NBA coaches and players have expressed concerns about Cleveland’s floor at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

Vardon explains that there is a 10-inch drop from the basketball floor to the ice covering used for the American Hockey League’s Cleveland Monsters, and that this is the only drop of its kind in the NBA.

He also writes that Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra called the Cavaliers’ court “dangerous.”

Members of the Los Angeles Lakers also shared their thoughts with The Athletic ahead of last night’s game against Cleveland.

Head Coach Darvin Ham

“It’s something that definitely needs to be looked at. Any time … you have a situation where someone’s getting hurt and the potential to get hurt, and in this particular case it’s the floor, I think they need to take a look at it and see if there are ways things could be better.”

LeBron James

“Yes, the league should look at it. They should address it.”

Austin Reaves

“It’s a little scary, to be honest.”

However, Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff had a different view in terms of his own players.

“I could see how opponents who aren’t used to it could see it as a distraction. Our guys are comfortable playing here. We haven’t had any incidents (among Cleveland players) because of how our floor is built.”