The new squad of Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a shaky start to the 2014 season. Considered a heavy favorite to win the NBA title, the new faces in Dan Gilbert's organization have not meshed quite yet. The Cavaliers opened their season at home, highlighted by the return of a floating cloud of chalk at the Quicken Loans Arena, as the King took the court for his first game at home since 2010.
However, LeBron James looked visibly rattled throughout the game. It was obvious that this season opener was not about basketball and a potential blowout against a New York Knicks team that weakened over the offseason. This was Homecoming. It was the extension of The Decision Pt. 2 as ESPN and the rest of the basketball world squeezed every last drop out of the biggest fruit that fell from the free agency tree this past offseason. And that is one thing LeBron James has never welcomed with open arms since joining the league in 2003.
It was noticeable in last Thursday night's 95-90 loss to the Knicks. James finished the game with 17 points on just 5 of 15 shooting and a game-high 8 turnovers. LeBron, who has been criticized in the past for his performance in big games, could not overcome the pressure of returning home on opening night. Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving had a team-high 22 points and 7 assists. Newly acquired forward Kevin Love added 19 points and 14 rebounds, but both he and Irving were overshadowed, as all eyes were on LeBron.
While the King barely scratched princehood in the opener, his coming out party came on the road in a 114-108 victory against a potential rival contender in the Chicago Bulls. Leading through three quarters, the Cavaliers surrendered a 78-69 lead going into the fourth quarter and wound up tied at the end of regulation 98-98. Then James took over. Scoring 8 of the team's 16 points in overtime, the former Miami Heat star made shots when his team needed them most. James finished with 36 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. Irving finished with 23 points and Love added another double-double with 16 points and an equal amount of rebounds. Meanwhile, Chicago fans were unable to see their superstar perform at the level of his old self, as the return of Derrick Rose was spoiled by a sprained ankle. Rose would finish the game and score 20 points, but was hobbled after the injury in the second quarter.
Although the new big three in Cleveland have not been lacking statistically in these first two games, their only win of the season came in overtime against a Bulls team that had lost a petal from its Rose. No, the Cavaliers have not started the season strong. But with an inexperienced head coach in David Blatt and a trio of superstars who have never played together, it should not come as a surprise. Four years ago, when LeBron James left Cleveland for Miami, rookie head coach Erik Spoelstra was faced with the task of meshing three All-Stars. That season, the Heat lost their season opener to the Boston Celtics and would go on to win the next four games. Spoelstra was eventually able to create cohesiveness with James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh and the Heat would win 58 games in 2010, losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
Multiple similarities exist between the 2014 Cleveland Cavaliers and the 2010 Miami Heat, including Mike Miller, James Jones and an inexperienced head coach. But the difference comes at the hands of an older and wiser LeBron James. At 29, he knows the NBA inside and out and knows himself much better than he did when he started out in Cleveland coming directly out of high school. James will serve as a coach and mentor for the role players around him and will certainly not fail to score points. With Love and Irving alongside him, as well as a deep bench, the biggest challenge James may face this season is Blatt's ability to quickly grasp the nature of the NBA and implement a system that works for his squad. With three games in the next four days, the clock is ticking and Cleveland is anxious.