The Cleveland Cavaliers and their fans can keep telling themselves the regular season does not matter, but with this current trajectory, it will. It's not just that the Cavaliers have been lackluster from a record standpoint, it's what has gone into that disappointment.
Cleveland lost their third straight game in a row when they dropped a brutal 117-115 matchup on Sunday to a Boston Celtics that has been familiarized with the hospital. So much for the excuse of injuries being able to comfort the Cavaliers in their time of sorrow.
The problem here is not losing regular season games. Although, that should not be out of mind altogether. The Cavaliers have now slipped to 12-9, only good enough for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
The real trouble comes with the habits. Looking at this Cavaliers group, do they have the mindset, work ethic, and early signs of a championship team? The short answer is no.
Cavaliers have consistently fallen short where it matters most
Far too often, Cleveland plays like a team that knows it has talent. That is not a compliment. The famous saying tells us that hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard. That feels applicable to this team.
Effort levels are an aspect of this Cavaliers that have been far too inconsistent. Jaylon Tyson was unapologetic about pointing that out after the disappointing loss to the Celtics.
"The young guys and the role players, it shouldn't be us having to bring the energy every time," Tyson told the media after the game. "Everybody has to bring energy. Everybody has to pour into this thing."
Players like Tyson have done their part. While there were no specific names mentioned, it did sound as though there was some frustration with the leaders of the Cavaliers.
The lack of effort can show up in areas like rebounding. Given the personnel of the Cavaliers, there are very few excuses for the team to be as mediocre in that department as they have been.
The Cavaliers rank 18th in the NBA when it comes to rebounds per game, pulling down 43.7 off the glass ever night. They were fifth in that category last season.
They struggle to finish off defensive possessions in particular, ranking 22nd in the NBA in defensive rebounding. Similarly to the above, the Cavaliers ranked fifth in that department last year.
No one expected Cleveland to win anything ludicrous like 70 games. Most did not even believe they would be pushing hard for a 60-win pace. The Cavs' current rate has them projected for a final win tally around 47.
Should that team just be expected to flip the switch in the postseason and suddenly turn into a real contender? Considering the shortcomings of the past, and the lackluster play of the present, that would be a poor bet for this Cavaliers squad.