The Cleveland Cavaliers put a strong performance on the Orlando Magic in the game prior to last night’s game against the Washington Wizards. That game was full of energy for the Cavaliers. Then the Cavs came out with another strong win against the Wizards in what was another high energy domination.
Yet in other games it seems like the Cavs energy comes and goes game to game, quarter to quarter and play to play. When the energy level goes down the offense and defense are greatly impacted. The high energy Cavs offense leads to the ball moving, players moving and open shots. The high energy defense leads to traps, quick rotations and steals.
When the energy is at the lowest point the offense stagnates as players stand around and watches someone dribble the basketball. On defense rotations are two or three steps slow, driving lanes are wide open and more time is spent blaming teammates than guarding opponents.
So what leads to this vacillation of energy? Are there factors within the team’s control? Are there things that are external that nothing can be done about? Lets address a few possible reasons for this:
Hoops Habit
Mental
When things are not going their way, when they feel like their teammates are not doing what they want or they underestimate their opponent, the Cavs can mentally checkout of games. LeBron James has been noted to being doing this numerous times this season specifically not running back on defense. Mental frustration can set in at anytime and take the Cavs out of their high energy game.
Opponent
The opponent’s style of play can have a drastic influence on the Cavs energy level. The Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors are strong defensive teams that create frustration for Cleveland. Offenses with high quality interior passing can take advantage of the Cavs penchant to hedge hard on picks. The style of play of the opponent can have a big impact on the Cavs energy.
Age/Mileage
This is only an issue for a few of the Cavs. LeBron James has a ton of miles on his body, even though he is not yet 30 years old. Mike Miller, James Jones, Shawn Marion and Anderson Varejao all have a ton of NBA experience, including many playoff runs. Muscles, tendons and overall energy is greatly impacted by the age and mileage placed on the body. These Cavs have been grinding their bodies hard year after year, it takes a toll and can impact the consistency of players energy.
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Long Season
Unlike the NFL or College Football the NBA season is long. With such a long season each game doesn’t have the same amount of value. Because of this it can be hard for players to focus on a high level night in and night out. While the Cavs can get up for big games, every game doesn’t get the team’s full energy every night.
Adrenaline Dump
Adrenaline is a great thing. It helps people lift cars off of others, run faster, jump higher and protect themselves and those they love. Adrenaline’s purpose is to help humans with their fight or flight responses. On some big nights, like Opening Night, the adrenaline gets pumping but, since they didn’t have to fight or flight, it then dumps into the system and tires them out. This also could happen on nights when the team gets up big, i.e. against the Raptors, but then can’t keep it going.
Illness
NBA players, like everyone else, have to deal with colds, flus and other physical ailments. The Cavs, home in Cleveland, also have to deal with the cold weather which can exacerbate illness. If they are able to, players will play through these type of sickness but it can quickly zap their energy.
Officials
The referees can have a big impact on the flow and energy of the game. If the refs won’t let the Cavs be physical on either end of the floor it can create a mindset of low energy to minimize fouls. The refs can also create some of the mental frustration when they don’t allow a player to play what he thinks is “his game.” When it feels like the officials are against you it is hard to stay focused with high energy.
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Diet
Things like sugar, carbohydrates and fats can all greatly impact the energy level of the team. Whether it is a players general diet or when certain things are eaten, diet can impact how a player feels. A high sugar protein bar before the game could cause a blood sugar drop while sitting around at halftime. Pre-game and halftime nutrition can be as important as players day to day diet in impacting energy levels.
Performance
Finally when things are not going good on one end of the floor it can greatly impact both ends. This mostly happens on the offensive end but can start on defense. When shots aren’t falling, when teammates aren’t where you expect them to be or the offensive flow isn’t running their way it can be hard to stay full go on defense. This is especially true for players who are used to dominating. For LeBron, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving being great is an expectation, anything other than that can pull the energy down quickly.
None of these are to create excuses for poor play by the Cavs, not seen in the last two games. Instead it is important to note that a wide variety of issues can explain some of the vacillation we have seen from the team this year. Some of these issues the Cavs can address, some of them are based on external forces.
If the Cavs can pull it all together, especially their energy, they can start to reach the high expectations set for them by many experts, and fans, have set for them. Hopefully these issues get addressed and we can celebrate wins like we have the last two games.
What reasons do you think has led the Cavs energy to vacillate so much this year?