Cleveland learns hard truths through an “uncomfortable” film session

The Cleveland Cavaliers practiced Tuesday for the first time since Nov. 9, with the primary focus on the defensive side of the ball. Apart from the participation itself, The Cavs learned some hard truths through an eye-opening film session featuring the head coach Kenny Atkinson put things into perspective.

“He just asked us out,” De’Andre Hunter said after practice. “He broke down exactly what we needed to do, exactly what we weren’t good at, and we saw it. As a whole team, it’s not the easiest thing to see when you’re not doing well, but we saw a lot of it.

“It’s negative. I feel like anything negative, if you look at it and try to actively work on it, you should be better at it. … You need those things. You can’t just brush them aside and say we’re going to be better later in the season because that’s not necessarily true.”

Atkinson compared this week without games to a training camp setting, where Cleveland can reset and get back to its principles. He also compared the team’s current standing to being down 2-1 in a playoff series. Part of the improvement is constructive criticism and holding everyone, including himself, accountable during this time off.

“We’re not enjoying it. We’re on edge,” Atkinson said. “We’re competitors. This isn’t fun, it wasn’t fun in the sense that the film session was uncomfortable. Practice is uncomfortable. Everybody wants that joy. The joy comes back when you start improving and turning the corner as much as we want to as a team.”

Hunter felt that direct message, tracked supporting evidencesends a clear message to each individual.

“It’s your responsibility,” Hunter said. “You can’t blame anybody else, you can’t say you weren’t in rhythm, or you’re not shooting or anything like that. If you just watch film and see yourself and get a backdoor cut or get beat in transition, that’s on you. We’ve seen that and we take responsibility. That helps every single player, because it’s tough.”

“It’s not fun, it’s not joyful,” Atkinson added. “So you’re a little changed, you’re a little frustrated, and how do we respond to that? It’s not good right now. How do we respond to that? How do we bounce back? This is an important part of seeing how we respond to our struggles right now.”

Thomas Bryant calls the period December-January-February the “dog days” of the NBA, where mental toughness is constantly tested. He believes the Cavs are in a “gray zone” due to a grueling schedule and injuries that have taken important guys out of the glue, but there’s no excuse for a lack of intent and focus.

Bryant was in a similar situation last year with the Indiana Pacers, whose rough start eventually propelled them all the way to the NBA Finals. Cleveland’s backup center was reminded of that when the players met on Tuesday.

“I feel like they’re going to catapult us right here,” Bryant said. “Sometimes you have to feel that playoff-ready mode, you have to feel those type of games, you have to feel those types of feelings throughout the season, so it kind of gets etched into you as the year goes on.”

“It just shows that we’re all bought in,” Hunter added. “We’re not all happy with where we are. We’re all trying to get better and have a common goal. To have a team-led meeting and for the guys to speak up and give their opinions, I think that helps not only the players, but the coaches as well.”

Although Hunter did not reveal the specifics of the discussion, Bryant said it comes down to mentality and, finally, enthusiasm.

“There’s been a couple of games where we could make plays here and there and we’re not celebrating each other’s joy out there, and that’s been a big emphasis as well,” Bryant said. “It’s a long season, it’s a tough season. We’re going to have ups and downs and everything, but our consistency level of what we do with each other has to stay the same, and that has to grow day by day.”

“This team is self-contained. It’s player-driven. It’s player-led,” Atkinson added. “I think I also have to look in the mirror. I think, especially with so many young guys in the mix, I can be a little more hands-on. I think that’s going to be my little adjustment, my little reset, is to be a little more intentional about how I coach the young guys and help them. Obviously we have really great leadership with them and our players, but I can help them do better.”

Bryant agrees with both his teammate and coach that the Cavs’ level of consistency has fluctuated. They waited for the tide to turn instead of diving in head first and dictating plays.

“We can’t just start thinking like, ‘Oh, maybe this is the play. We can turn it on in the second quarter or the fourth quarter when we’re down,'” Bryant said. “No, it has to start at the beginning of the game, before the clock starts, and then until the clocks strike zero in the fourth quarter.”

“That’s something we’ve struggled with all season,” Hunter added. “I’m just recovering, and I feel like our overall toughness. We have a chance these five days to get it right and get back on track.”

Using this gap in the recovery schedule and finally implementing some strategies should make a difference.

“I feel like part of this reset is just going back to where we started in training camp and our identity,” Atkinson said. “And quite frankly, with five (games) in seven (nights), you don’t have time to do that. And there’s slippage. Slippage happens. especially when you’re playing three, four young guys.”

Tactically, the Cavs will not make drastic adjustments. They will prioritize the need to play harder and compete longer.

“Right now, we have slippages in how consistently we do it,” Atkinson said. “We talked about that a few days ago, how to come back from missed shots and that resilience. There were some misses there, where you don’t get back on defense, miss a closeout or mess up the execution because the offensive end was affecting you.

“Go back to our principles and our fundamentals and the way we do things. Double it, double our identity.”