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Cleveland Cavaliers: What we learned in the home loss to Golden State

By Jackson Flickinger

CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 15: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors on January 15, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JANUARY 15: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers handles the ball against Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors on January 15, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 11: Isaiah Thomas
TORONTO, ON – JANUARY 11: Isaiah Thomas /

The Cleveland Cavaliers are far from a finished product.

Cleveland really did look good at times during this game. They showed that they could hang with the Warriors for stretches, but they can’t do it for a full 48 minutes.

The good news is that they don’t award the Larry O’Brien Trophy in January.

The Cavs have a lot of work to do. They have had a tough time integrating Tristan Thompson and Isaiah Thomas back into the rotation. The bench has taken a step back by trying to incorporate Thompson into their sets and it has cost the unit. Similarly, the starters have not had a consistent unit for most of the season. However, there is still time for them to gel.

Also, the Cavaliers have the assets to acquire the help they need on the defensive end. The trade deadline is a few weeks away and it’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Cavs will make some move to bolster their lineup and maybe add an additional wing defender.

Given the changes that are taking place and could conceivably take place between now and the start of the playoffs, it would be foolish to write the Cavs off just yet. Cleveland is still the class of the Eastern Conference and has the best player in the world. This isn’t going to be how the team looks in the playoffs or if/when they get another rematch with the Warriors in June.

Must Read: Cleveland Cavaliers: Is Hassan Whiteside, not DeAndre Jordan, the answer?

The Cavs will look to get back on the right track when they welcome the Magic to town on Thursday night.