The Cavaliers are tired of an apprenticeship contract

It’s obviously not Groundhog Day, but in Cleveland, we’re starting to think the 2022/23 season might be a copy and paste of last season. And it won’t be good news because the Cavaliers have been eliminated from the “play-in”. We’re not quite there yet as Donovan Mitchell’s teammates are currently 5th in the East, with a good margin over their pursuers, but the form is worrying.

“We are somehow irregular” regret Donovan Mitchellafter the loss suffered at home against the Heat. “I don’t want it to be our trademark. I don’t want people to think it’s a disaster either. We’re in good shape, but we have to find a certain level of consistency to be a very good team. »

Before the meeting, JB Bickerstaff had pointed out this irregularity. “Consistency is what we are after. We have a few snippets of the level we can reach. There were times when we saw how we could control things, and now it’s just about whether we can do it over time. warned the Cleveland coach. “No one makes a perfect game. I have never seen a team play perfectly for 48 minutes. But can we make it 40 minutes? In the playoffs, every possession counts. We have to prepare for it, and that’s what we want to aim for, and that’s what we’re doing. »

A major five at an average age of 23

Regarding the playoffs, the Heat are the perfect opponent because Jimmy Butler’s teammates are experienced in this event. And the Cavaliers failed down the stretch…

“We have seen a team that has been through this and another that has never been at this level together”, explained Donovan Mitchell. “We’re all a little tired of going in front of you and saying, ‘We’re learning. We want to learn from the successes, and we didn’t play well. This is the real truth. We have to find a way to do it. Accountability let’s have it with everyone. »

As for the Cavaliers defense, they have a starting five whose average age is 23, and only Donovan Mitchell has really made the playoffs with 39 of 48 appearances accumulated by the holders. For the coach, such a young worker is forced to learn lessons, even if it hurts the back.

“There are hard lessons to learn” recognize the coach. “We’re playing against a very good team with tough, tough guys, and you have to hang on for 48 minutes. It’s not just physical resistance, it’s also mental. They should be foiled. It’s hard to win in the NBA, and you keep learning how to win games like that. Experience is what makes us different from each other. »

Exit the learning phase

Like Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen is tired of talking about a “lesson” and sees the difference between an experienced Heat and a Cavalier who is still learning.

“They’ve been in this situation many times and they know how to close out games like this. We lost a few balls late in the game and they took advantage of it. These are the situations we want to be in. We want to be in close ones this game, going against the best teams, in a playoff environment, in playoff basketball where they will see every little flaw that will attack us. It’s just something that we’ll use to develop. (…) We can’t say , ‘We’re learning, we’re learning, we’re learning’… I feel like the key word is ‘learning lesson’ and I’m tired of saying it. »