The Awkward Post-Game Scene, and More Thoughts on the Cavs

From Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer comes this account of the postgame scene in Cleveland last night:

The mood within the locker room following the loss was mostly stunned silence. They know they are not very good right now and that is something they understand, but the amount of work they’re going to have to do to get where they need to be is sinking in. Mo Williams said it was like being on an 18-hour drive and being in the seventh or eighth hour, knowing how much more is ahead. I like the analogy but disagree with the timing, I’m not sure the Cavs have hit the first rest stop yet. They have, however, hit the first speed bumps.

Oof. Sounds… Awkward.

It’s odd to think that any team might read so much into a mere two games—the Cavaliers started 1-2 last year, you know—but by the same token, we’re talking about a group that endured a pretty emphatic loss at the hands of the Orlando Magic, a team they were heavy favorites to beat. The Magic, in those 6 games, exposed some flaws in Cleveland that had previously gone overlooked (coaching, size, general lack of talent), which sent things into a bit of a tailspin.

Lebron, who’d previously been scene smiling and crafting funny pregame routines with his teammates, was suddenly scowling and storming off the court. And the Cavs were left dazed and confused, one year closer to Lebron’s possible departure, having failed in spectacular fashion just when everyone finally had them pegged for success. That type of thing takes a toll on a team’s psychology. And even though touting their demise would be premature, it’s not that much of a stretch to suggest that the mood of this team has changed for the worse.

It’s happened before in the NBA; the year after the Mavericks collapsed as a number 1 seed and fell to the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors in the playoffs, the wheels came off for them, and the team—from Dirk, to Jason Terry, to Coach Avery Johnson—was never the same. And that’s where we could see Cleveland headed. The Cavs are already playing with all sorts of unspoken tension—their franchise superstar is basically holding them hostage, after all. Throw in the pressure of expectations and the mounting skepticism that started with last year’s playoffs, and there’s a lot for Cleveland’s players and fans to be stressed about.

You know what they need to diffuse the situation... They need Stephen Jackson.