The frustrations of the Cleveland Cavaliers have led to "exchanged words" between players while also potentially setting the team up for trades. The Cavaliers have plenty of new faces on the roster this season and have yet to truly figure out how to play with one another which has caused the team to sit at 1-3 on the season. If the struggles continue, could the Cavaliers make a few emergency moves?
According to ESPN.com, following the loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, Lebron James and Kyrie Irving exchanged words over their frustrations in the 19-point loss. Irving left without speaking to the media while James addressed some of his concerns about the team and their inconsistencies on both sides of the court. Denying the "exchanged words" were a big deal, James just stressed patience and chemistry that will come with time.
"There's a lot of bad habits, a lot of bad habits been built up the past couple years," James said, via ESPN.com. "When you play that style of basketball, it takes a lot to get it up out of you. Well, I mean, as far as [Irving's] scoring, it was big time. He made all the shots we needed to keep us in the game. He made some great plays down the stretch, finished above the rim. It was great."
James and Irving appear to be working out their chemistry with one another. One player still confused about his role on the team is Dion Waiters who lost his starting job to Shawn Marion against Portland. The shooting guard recently had his option picked up and was assumed to be the guarantee starter, but after getting benched, he is unsure where he belongs. Already having stressed his desire to not come off the bench, Waiters gave a very vague statement when asked about getting benched.
"That's not my game. I can do it, but you know what I'm effective at: pick-and-roll and things like that," Waiters said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
If Waiters cannot prove capable of handling a starting spot in the lineup, could he be a trade target for the team come the mid-season deadline? The Cavaliers could be deciding between the futures of Tristan Thompson and Waiters. Thompson did not get a contract extension before the deadline and will be a restricted free agent. The Cavaliers would like to keep him around and may opt to trade Waiters should his struggles continue.
For now, the Cavaliers are concerned with getting a win. They face the Denver Nuggets on the road Friday before having off until Monday. They could easily go winless on this Western Conference road trip if things do not start to change.
