The Cleveland Cavaliers have been struggling a bit to start the season and now Dion Waiters has been taken out of the starting lineup for Shawn Marion and after a tough loss to the Utah Jazz, LeBron James took the blame for the defeats and he has preached patience, as he expects Kyrie Irvin, Kevin Lobe and the Cavs to start playing better as the year goes on.
The Cavaliers lost on a buzzer beater to the Jazz and now the team is 1-3 and they have not looked like a good team through four games. That is a very small sample size and LeBron James took some of the blame for the start, saying that he has been too passive at times and the team needs more cohesion. James said this would be a predictable start for the team, as they have a number of new players, a new coach and many young players that have not experienced winning yet.
Dion Waiters is one of those players and while he has talent, Waiters has not been playing well and he was taken out of the starting lineup. According to Pro Basketball Talk, after opening the season as the starting shooting guard, Waiters was pulled out for Shawn Marion for the game against the Jazz. The matchup was a back to back after the Cavs played the night before and that also could be a reason for the struggles.
Waiters was mentioned in trade rumors last year and he could be an option to get moved if the team doesn't see improvement. Kyrie Irving is considered to be one of the point guards in the league, but he has now gone multiple quarters without an assist and he really needs to get his game on track. The Cavaliers set a franchise low with six assists against the Jazz and four of those were from James. LeBron had 31 points in the game and the Cavs were close at the end after being down early, but they need to improve to have a shot at winning a championship this year.
James said Rome was not built in a day and he did not win his first championship in Miami until his second season there and that could play out again in Cleveland. James signed with the Cavs this summer and after he made his announcement, he said it would be a long process for the team as they try and develop a winning formula. James had struggles with the Miami Heat after he signed there and it took a while for the team to develop a cohesive offense. James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh all had to change their games up and that is what is going on with the Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers are now 1-3 and they next play against the Denver Nuggets on Friday and that comes ahead of their return home. The team is ranked 19th in points per game and 23rd in points allowed, but the most troubling is the assists, as the team is ranked 30th in dimes per game through four matchups. James and Kevin Love played well against the Blazers, with James dropping seven assists and Love putting up 22 points and 10 rebounds, but that game ended in a 19 point loss.
