King James Gospel
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The Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t ready for the playoffs

By JR DePierro

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 20: LeBron James
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - APRIL 20: LeBron James /
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Just because the Cleveland Cavaliers made the NBA playoffs doesn’t mean they are ready for it. 

First, let’s take a quick look at what the last eight to nine months has been like for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

  • Kyrie Irving requests a trade after hearing rumors about the team considering trade possibilities for him.
  • Cleveland acquires Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and Brooklyn’s 2018 first round pick for Irving.
  • Derrick Rose signs a minimum deal with Cleveland.
  • Dwyane Wade agrees to a buyout deal with the Chicago Bulls and signs to a minimum deal with Cleveland.
  • Richard Jefferson is traded.

    • The season begins and the Cavaliers are without their all-star point guard up until January.

    Finally January arrives and Thomas isn’t fitting in as well as Cleveland had hoped for

  • All star break approaches and Cleveland trades, well, everyone. (Channing Frye, Wade, Thomas, Crowder, Rose and Iman Shumpert)
  • Cleveland acquires Jordan Clarkson, Larry Nance Jr., Rodney Hood, and George Hill
  • LeBron James finishes another historic season by breaking records and once again having his name in the running for MVP.

    • Now, Cleveland is 2-2 in the first round of the playoffs against the Indiana Pacers.

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    So, clearly, this wasn’t an ideal year for Cleveland. That being said, it’s worth noting that they still achieved a 50-32 record.

    At the end of the day, what concerns me most about the dramatic mid-season changes is the lack of chemistry. Believe it or not, chemistry matters in the playoffs. And, it matters more than the common fan thinks.

    In order for Cleveland to win, each player must be confident, but most importantly they must trust each other. We haven’t seen that at times. We’ve seen heads turned and frustration created. That said, it’s not such a simple fix even if a fix is possible.

    Prepare to roll your eyes, but LeBron needs more help. That’s not implying he needs better players on his team, but in actuality, he needs their expected production to come to fruition.

    Kevin Love must play better in order for Cleveland to go far into the playoffs. If Love doesn’t pick up some of the slack and LeBron continues to carry the load, the team will fall apart.

    LeBron will eventually get tired. He is averaging over 42 minutes a game in this series. He’s the best player in the world and arguably the most durable player in the game, but he’s still human.

    Time will tell if LeBron’s surrounding cast will settle in and produce efficiently. Game 5 in Cleveland is a near must-win, especially considering what the consequences if they don’t win.

    Must Read: What we learned from a must-win Game 4 victory

    The Cavaliers take on the Pacers in Cleveland for game five on Wednesday at 7:00 PM EST.