Despite the focus on the big picture, Cleveland is flying too close to the sun

No, the sky is not falling, like Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson said Sunday, but he’s starting to decline. At the one-quarter mark of the 2025-26 NBA season, the Wine and Gold look like pretenders rather than contenders, further fueling the fire of their loudest critics with a 12-9 record. For the third time in a row, the Cavs’ sophomore swingman suffers a completely familiar loss Jaylon Tyson said the silent part out loud.

“I just think we’re in cruise control,” Tyson candidly told reporters multiple times in the locker room after the game.

While it’s admirable that a second-year player who played in 67 career total games is willing to use his voice to right the ship, he shouldn’t be the one publicly falling on the proverbial sword. The Cleveland boys have to face the music after these losses, but I guess the reliance on inexperienced players to come to the rescue happens in the media appearances as well.

Despite a little credit to the public, Sunday was one of the first times this year that Donovan Mitchell didn’t bite the bullet to address this situation. Whether it’s because he didn’t want to repeat himself, he wanted to cool off before saying something he’d regret, or he just wanted to skip the day, it’s a red flag no matter which way you spin it. And while Darius Garland may not want to ask questions about the toe discomfort amid his anger at the failure, it would help explain certain inconsistencies and provide some transparency.

De’Andre Hunter sprained his ankle midway through the fourth quarter, so he wasn’t around to answer for his team-worst minus-31 in the standings. At least Evan Mobley, who not-so-quietly put together his best two games of the young season, got in front of the cameras after a 27-point, 14-rebound performance.

“Everybody wants to be better, everybody wants to win, everybody wants us to be the best we can be, but right now we’re not,” Mobley said. “And so. We have to find a way to fix it. Frustration might help a little, honestly.”

It’s hard to disagree with Mobley’s assessment. The worst thing a basketball team can do is become complacent and accept the status quo. Internal conflicts are often viewed in a negative light when viewed externally due to conflict, but in order to get better, you have to get real. Taking nothing away from what they’ve accomplished — because it’s been a joy to watch — Tyson, Craig Porter Jr., Nae’Kwan Tomlin and Tyrese Proctor shouldn’t be saviors for seasoned, proven talent who know better.

The fact is that The Cavs treat the regular season with little respect. Echoing the words of their craziest supporters, they’re “too cool” to play hardball, as if they’re saving it for five months from now. How come the guys who have been on the spit all summer haven’t learned by now? Furthermore, how is it that the new guard understands that concept more than those who have been a part of this Cleveland core a year away?

And, predictably, that half-in-half-out mindset infects who they are as a team at the heart of it all. For an organization focused on process more than results, what happens if you see neither? It becomes your identity, and that’s the last thing he wants to happen to everything that’s been built and sacrificed to get to this point. Bad habits are easier to form than good ones. Experimentation is essential; too much can take away from your strengths.

Flooding this column with statistics will do nothing but clench your fists of anger, but just know that the shot selection was worse. Mitchell is setting video game numbers in the MVP race looks nice on the scoreboard, yet indicates an over-reliance on his score. Playing against speedy opponents, misses lead to breakaway chances, bounces and rebounds that the wine and gold players just didn’t want enough of. The Cavs get caught watching the ball on both ends, or even when trying to secure a turnover, they’re a step too late due to hesitation or assuming the other guy is going to get it back.

When you go scoreless with three and a half minutes to close out the half, it’s hard to go down. When you don’t shoot a single board for nearly four minutes when you come out of the locker room in the next quarter, it’s hard to get down. When you have numbers in the open floor after a defensive stop and only two guys running the floor in transition, it’s hard to get down low. When your head is falling and you’re looking for someone to figure it out for you, it’s hard to go any lower. The Celtics were on the second night of back-to-back games, while Cleveland had a day off in between. And on Friday, in Atlanta, the Cavs haven’t played in three days.

So maybe Sunday will be the last straw. After all, the calendar is December 1, and the league lasts until mid-June. Cleveland also plays at least three to four rotation pieces every game, which doesn’t help. Several players also played through a number of illnesses to be with their teammates.

However, it does not affect the hustle and effort of the whole team, nor does it affect the ground coverage for your fellow man or that you are well prepared in general. Can someone tell me the last time free throw percentage was related to injuries? Has anyone considered the possibility that Cleveland might not be fully healthy, and even if they are, they will be forced to re-acclimate the players on the fly and reduce the minutes of the current players in the rotation?

Coaches have to prepare for every possibility, and Atkinson is equally guilty of that early season setbacks like those who played.

There will be no perfect script, no matter how you slice it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have always responded to adversity

The Cavs have earned a lot of my respect with the people they have in the building, from the front office to the coaching staff and players. They are packed with great basketball minds behind the scenes and unique talents on the court. They are by no means the same team, but shades of last year are there.

Maybe I’m drinking the Kool-Aid because I believe that who they are in the winter can be completely different from who they are in the spring. Many disagree with my firm belief that the Cavs will make the Eastern Conference Finals, and I can’t blame them, as this current version of Cleveland would be happy to be above the Play-Ins. (If that last sentence doesn’t light a fire under the squad, I don’t know what will.)

That said, knowing what the Cavs have been through, and among the outside noise, there will be an answer, and a loud one at that. A bad month should not, and will not, define them. This is not some completely unsustainable thing; it will become one if they don’t break away from it.

If it is too difficult to face the truth and the priority is to maintain a comfortable environment, then the problems go deeper than what we see on the surface.

Fortunately, the Cavs have a locker room with guys who won’t let that happen.