Lack of Chemistry
In a disappointing loss to the Utah Jazz Wednesday night, the Cavs sank to 1-3. Kyrie and LeBron both put up more than 30 points each, with Love in double figures as well. But the most disappointing stat of the game wasn’t the loss- it was the 6 assists.
I repeat: SIX.
Four of them from LeBron, and zero from an all-star point guard. When two of your forwards have more assists than a point guard, there is a problem. With players like LeBron and Love, the opportunities for an assist are high.
With the amount of individual talent on a team like the Cavs this season, opportunities can be created on their own. But as they say, there is no “I” in “team”. With all the weapons available for the Cavs this year, it would make sense to have a high assist count. Yes, they all have the capability to score on their own, but this isn’t team ball like Blatt’s system calls for. It’s difficult to win when the ball is in one person’s hands for an entire possession.
This team needs to gel together as quickly a possible and start heading in the right direction. The Cavs are ranked 30th overall in assists per game. Kyrie hasn’t had an assist in over 6 quarters. LeBron himself has talked to both Kyrie and Blatt, calling for a more team-oriented style of play.
I wouldn’t call Kyrie’s playing selfish, but after only four games, he clearly is not used to having so many weapons on the floor together. Six assists is something to be concerned about, and it could be a factor on the slow start the Cavs are dealing with. But, again, we are only four games into the season. Chemistry needs to be established, and it needs to be found sooner rather than later.
When this chemistry is established and the Cavs start playing more as a team, it could get scary. With so many weapons available on the court at the same time, a team-oriented style not only could lead to a more expected record, but also a much more fun game to watch.
