Cavs hold team meeting to clear the air before Tuesday's practice
Tyronn Lue wants to make sure everyone is on the same page.
The Cleveland Cavaliers held a team meeting prior to Tuesday's practice to clear the air amidst their sluggish start to the season, their head coach told ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
"Off the court we've got great chemistry, great bond. Just, on the court we just got to be better," Lue explained. "Like, talking, communicating, enjoying the game together. Having fun. ... Right now guys are not having fun."
The Cavaliers currently sit tied for 10th in the Eastern Conference, matching records with perennial bottom-feeders such as the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks. At 3-4, LeBron James is off to his worst start since opening up his career with an 0-5 slide back in 2003.
James was a "vocal" participant in the meeting, though "most everyone spoke," a source told McMenamin. James had previously insisted he was "not going to go crazy" about the early-season losses after Sunday's desultory performance against the Knicks. Meanwhile, Lue had called the team's recent play "unacceptable," specifically citing a lack of effort in transition defense. Both Lue and his players suggested the issues boil down to their fitness level.
"Naturally, the slow start that we've had prompted us to just all get on the same page and kind of figure out what we need to do," Kevin Love told McMenamin. "I feel like we can get in better shape, that's going to help us on the defensive end."
While the meeting won't make the Cavs collectively get into better shape, Love expects it will pay dividends in other ways.
"Communication, energy and just getting the new guys to (become) adjusted," he said. "So time will tell how it's going to play out, but we have a lot of really good positive energy from today, so, it was a great practice. ... I think it definitely lightened the mood and it was definitely a get-to-know-you moment with a lot of guys. ... I think in some odd way it will definitely help us."
The Cavaliers currently sit 14th in offensive rating, but rank almost rock-bottom at 27th in defensive rating. They take on the 3-3 Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.