Random dribbles on the Cavaliers’ embarrassing 126-91 loss to the host Golden State Warriors on Monday:
1. I watched the first minute and thought, “OK. No big deal, Cavs fans. It’ll be fine.” Of course, that’s when the Warriors led 7-0. Little did I know that was about as good as the night would get.
2. Later, I thought, “Really? Come on, champs. You’re gonna let them dance all over you again?”
3. I say “again” because the Warriors beat the Cavs by 34 on MLK Day last year.
4. Yeah, I know. The Cavs won the title. So you really can keep this in perspective. And that’s precisely what Coach Tyronn Lue said the Cavs plan to do.
5. We all know it means little. If anyone understands that, it’s the Warriors. I give them credit for not acting like this was the championship. They probably learned from last season.
6. The Cavs had better understand that, too. The Warriors won’t be satisfied with this one game. If the teams meet again in June, the Warriors will use this as a learning experience. They will be more determined than ever to prove it’s not a fluke.
7. The Cavs aren’t about to panic or make a major trade. They trust that no one can stop LeBron James and Kyrie Irving four times in the same series. It’s a good philosophy. It worked, after all, in the only finals LeBron and Kyrie played together for a full series.
8. Granted, that’s not all the Cavs have in their plans — but it’s a darn good starting point. LeBron, Kyrie, Kevin Love and an experienced roster that knows each other well and has won a title. Nothing wrong with banking on all that.
9. I do see the Cavs adding a backup point guard and backup big man within the next month. But we’re not talking Rajon Rondo or Jahlil Okafor here. It’s more likely to be D-League types, or perhaps a couple more older veterans. That’s OK. Just keep the Big Three healthy. You’ve already added Kyle Korver. You already had Tristan Thompson, too. Pretty soon, you’ll get J.R. Smith back.
10. Point is, the Cavs can win a title as is. They can beat the Warriors again, even with Kevin Durant. Fans on both sides can talk all the smack they want, but I can tell you the players on both teams have a high level of respect for the other side. They don’t like each other, but they do realize either team could win.
11. So does anyone need to freak out here? Hardly. No one once has won or lost a championship in January. Thank heavens for the Cavs, who didn’t look all that great on this trip — by finishing 3-3. The three wins (Nets, Suns, Kings) came against non-playoff teams.
12. Anyway, the Cavs and the Warriors should meet again. I’d throw the Spurs in the mix as a true contender as well — but that’s about it. The Cavs and Warriors split the season series, they split the last two finals. There’s a long way to go before June. Like last season, the Cavs should learn from their blowout loss on MLK Day, and apply what they learned to the postseason.
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