CLEVELAND: It seems intentional at this point. Regardless of how well the Cavaliers play, regardless how lopsided the score, they’re going to find something they don’t like.
David Blatt didn’t like the fast-and-loose 3-pointers in the first half. LeBron James “blew a gasket” while ahead by 26 points in the second half.
With the East showing early signs of vast improvement over last season and the Golden State Warriors charging out to a perfect start, the Cavaliers have no room to slip, regardless of who is healthy and who isn’t. So this is the standard now: Keep going, keep fighting, keep working. No matter how many wins, no matter the score, it’s not good enough.
The Cavs are an East-leading 10-3 — and they’re doing it without four of the top eight in their rotation — but it’s hard to know that these days. They led an Atlanta Hawks team that won 60 games last season by 26 points in the third quarter Saturday night and James was so upset with how they were playing he stomped off the court and earned a technical.
“I blew a gasket,” he said without elaborating what had him fuming.
Similarly, Blatt found plenty he didn’t like. The Cavs shot 20 3-point shots by halftime and Blatt thought a number of them were ill-advised. He didn’t like the defense in the second half or the general sloppiness with the ball.
Yet this is a team now down to its third point guard and playing Jared Cunningham 20 minutes. Cunningham was a camp invite who is on his fifth team in four years and was once cut by the dysfunctional Sacramento Kings.
So where is the bar now? Where is the level of expectation for this injury-ravaged team biding its time until they’re healthy? Not even Blatt seems sure.
“Honestly for us right now and the situation we’re in, the bar we are looking at is Monday against Orlando,” Blatt said. “I really don’t feel comfortable or confident to talk beyond that. I don’t know who is going to play Monday. I do know the guys that will play are going to come to play. How do I project out from that? I don’t know. I just don’t know. I do believe when we get everybody back and get some time together we are going to be good like we were last year and hopefully beyond that because we’re deeper.”
That depth is on full display right now. Little-used veterans such as James Jones and Anderson Varejao are making big contributions now that they’re needed.
Jones made two 3-pointers within his first minute on the floor Saturday and Varejao continues to impress despite being virtually ignored through the first 10 games. He scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds Saturday, made another elbow jumper and completed a three-point play after James zipped a patented pocket pass to Varejao as he slashed to the rim.
The play ended with Varejao on his back crashing into the stanchion. James quickly helped him up and gave him an endearing pat on the back of his head.
At various points last season, Blatt used injuries as an excuse for the Cavs’ struggles. Not anymore. Of all the mantras Blatt learned during his first season in the NBA, the league’s longstanding motto of “next man up” was high on that list.
“We’re missing a lot of guys right now. A lot of very, very significant players,” Blatt said. “But the other guys are stepping up and doing the job and not asking for any quarter, they’re not asking for any breaks. They’re just going out there and playing and I think that speaks volumes to the type of players and people they are.”
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.