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Cleveland Cavaliers: What we learned from a 14-point loss to the Clips

By Jackson Flickinger

LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 09: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a Cavaliers foul during the first half against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on March 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 09: LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers reacts to a Cavaliers foul during the first half against the LA Clippers at Staples Center on March 9, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – MARCH 1: The Cleveland Cavaliers bench celebrates after a three point shot against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 1, 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 – MARCH 1: The Cleveland Cavaliers bench celebrates after a three point shot against the Philadelphia 76ers on March 1, 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) /

Lesson No. 3: Milos Teodosis is still looking for JR Smith.

Smith sent Clippers’ guard Teodosis flying off the court with a crossover in the fourth quarter. JR finished it up by knocking down an uncontested jumper while Teodosis was out of bounds trying to figure out what just happened to him.

Smith finished the night with 15 points and five assists.

Lesson No. 4: The Cavs are still a work in progress.

Cleveland squandered a lot of opportunities Friday night. They were careless with the ball to start the game, missed many open shots, and looked out of place at times defensively. This game served as a quick reminder that it’s almost impossible to assemble a team on the floor and compete against teams that have played together for years.

LeBron has preached patience with this team over and over again. He has been spectacular night after night, but it’s clear that players aren’t comfortable in their current roles yet.

The Cavs have a high ceiling with this new core, but they probably won’t reach that ceiling this season. There are just too many moving parts for them to get it all figured out before the end of the season. However, that doesn’t mean they still can’t make a deep playoff run. Especially when number 23 is still on the team.

Must Read: Analyzing each of the Cavs potential first-round matchups

The Cavs will look to get back on track as they take on the Los Angeles Lakers and Isaiah Thomas at the Staples Center Sunday night.