The Cleveland Cavaliers season seems to be going in the opposite direction of that which Cavs fans expected. Cavs fans expected the triumphant season to be an easy process. Fans expectations were that the new Big 3 would fit together much better than Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh and LeBron James did in their first season.
The thought was that James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love were better fitting than the Miami group. On paper Irving and Love were better shooters than Wade ever was or Bosh was in 2010.
Yet here we are, just past New Years, and the Cleveland Cavaliers are 19 – 15 dealing with injuries to all three of their best players, dealing with drama around their new head coach David Blatt and a roster that is incomplete.
Sir Charles In Charge
Fans are disappointed. The reason they are disappointed is any number of things:
- The lack of continuity and ball movement on offense.
- The terrible effort on defense.
- The lack of rim protection.
- The overall record.
- The players’ body language.
- The lack of adjustments by the coach(es).
- The terrible rotations.
- The decision to trade Andrew Wiggins for Kevin Love.
- The horrible double digit losses.
- The hope that the dominate games have given.
Which one(s) are the reason(s) you are disappointed? Mull it over, process your thoughts, deal with your feelings and now put it aside as we give you the real reason you are disappointed:
- YOU!
See you are the reason you are disappointed, if you are indeed disappointed. No one else was responsible for you getting your hopes up.
Yes you may have read some articles that talked about how great this team should be. You may have sought out more information telling you how this Cavs team would finally end the Cleveland drought. It was fun for Cleveland to be the center of the sports world especially when ESPN spent all day of Opening Day in downtown.
Yet you either missed it, forgot it or ignored it. It was right there, right there in LeBron James’ letter declaring his return. To help you remember here it is from the Lee Jenkins piece on SI (New Window):
"I’m not promising a championship. I know how hard that is to deliver. We’re not ready right now. No way. Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010. My patience will get tested. I know that. I’m going into a situation with a young team and a new coach. I will be the old head. But I get a thrill out of bringing a group together and helping them reach a place they didn’t know they could go. I see myself as a mentor now and I’m excited to lead some of these talented young guys. I think I can help Kyrie Irving become one of the best point guards in our league. I think I can help elevate Tristan Thompson and Dion Waiters. And I can’t wait to reunite with Anderson Varejao, one of my favorite teammates."
Let us highlight a few sentences for you:
"We’re not ready right now.Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic.It will be a long process, much longer than it was in 2010.My patience will get tested."
If the best player in the world clearly saw concerns with the team coming into the season, why didn’t you? Why didn’t I? See as a fan I saw what I wanted to see. I saw a great roster with young players and veterans. With All Stars James, Irving and Love along with a creative exciting coach in David Blatt.
LeBron James saw a team that was not ready, that he was realistic about their chance of making the playoffs, that would take a longer time than his Heat team in 2010 and that he would struggle with patience.
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Given the letter, and only the letter, we should have expected a season of struggle. A team that is 19 – 15 with some big wins and difficult losses. With those expectations the Cleveland Cavaliers would have disappointed no one.
While James may seem frustrated, his letter gives perspective that he should not be.
In context of LeBron James’ letter we should not be disappointed. In context of our own, self determined expectations, we are disappointed.
We are responsible for our own disappointment.
Cavs fans: Do you accept responsibility for your own disappointment?
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