Before anyone gets down regarding Wednesday’s Cavaliers loss to the Pistons, take a great big deep breath. There is nothing to be concerned about. Sure, it was a little bit of a bummer because the wine and gold dominated the first half, and still had a lead well into the third quarter. However, the Cavs had won eight in a row, and were playing a very good team in their house.
Losing those games are not a big deal in the regular season. In fact, the Cavaliers three losses this season have all come against elite teams on the road: Boston, New Orleans, and Detroit. If they only lose those types of games all season long, we will be looking at a team with between 55 and 60 victories at the end of the campaign.
And as good as the wine and gold’s start of the season has been, you still have to remember there is going to be a period of adjustment. The team still has to discover what plays work against tough defenses, particularly the ones played by the NBA’s best teams. The Piston defense took away what the Cavs did in the first half, and the Cavs didn’t adjust. They will learn what to do as the season goes on.
Detroit also got red-hot in the fourth quarter. Allen Iverson hurt Cleveland by getting the ball on the left side and cutting across the lane to get shots. Rasheed Wallace then started firing in three pointers, including one from the parking lot. The Pistons shot over 50% from the floor for the game, well over the 43% opponents had been shooting in the first 11 games of the season.
The important thing is that the Cavaliers learn from this game, and they will know what to do the next time a good team turns up the pressure on defense. There are still 70 games left on the schedule, and I still believe the wine and gold will be the best team in the Eastern Conference when all is said and done. There is still a lot of room for improvement with this team, especially as Mo Williams gets more used to playing with the rest of his teammates. I don’t think you can say the same for Detroit and Boston.
Now for a rant…Jim Rome is trying to stir it up with LeBron James’ comment about the fans booing when he didn’t shoot in the Milwaukee game when the Cavs had 99 points. Please stop! It was no big deal.
First, the fans are idiots. The game was over and there was no reason for the Cavaliers to show up an opponent by scoring a meaningless basket at the end of the game. Mike Brown made the correct decision in telling James to hold on to the ball.
Second, #23 is correct. If you can afford tickets to an NBA game, I think you can buy yourself a chalupa at Taco Bell. I would guess that many of the fans who chant “cha-lu-pa” when the Cavaliers get to 98 or 99 points never go to T.Bell and redeem the ticket.
Lastly, here’s a note for the national media. Stop looking for reasons for James to leave the Cavaliers. If the Cavs are as good as I think they are this year, The King will stay. If he sees a decreasing chance to win titles with the Cavaliers, he will look to go somewhere else. I don’t think he’s going to leave because the fans want a fast-food meal.
Maybe, just maybe, LeBron James likes the area. He is already known throughout the world, and he plays in Cleveland! Name someone on the Knicks or Nets, besides Vince Carter. If you play for a losing team, no one cares who you are.
JK
Cleveland Sports Perspective 
The loss to New Orleans was without Chandler and Stojakovic:) It was a bad loss because it did not help their confidence when it comes to winning games on the road against Western Conference teams… something they have struggled with during the LBJ era. This team is young, and is in search of an identity; losing to Detroit this early in the season is fine, but when a team buckles under the pressure like that it only gives their rival more confidence that they can bully them around. Lebron will not be held down like that every night, but I can not say the same for Delonte West and Daniel Gibson–both of them were lost out there, completely overwhelmed by the constant pressure on both sides of the floor from the Pistons back court. If that was a test, they both failed miserably! The Pistons have an array of talented guards who can break down the defense with their dribbling ability, all we have is Mo Williams. The Cavaliers roster is not talented enough right now to contend without needing Lebron to carry the bulk of the load–that has to change! Cleveland will need to make a big trade for an athletic big man (who can score) or a dynamic 2 guard who can collapse the defense opposite side number 23.