Tyronn Lue on Cavs' skid: 'Teams just look faster than we do at every position'

by **bobheckler** Mon Oct 30, 2017 1:13 pm

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/tyronn-lue-cavs-apos-skid-140824885.html

Tyronn Lue on Cavs' skid: 'Teams just look faster than we do at every position'

Sporting News 2 hours 56 minutes ago

Tyronn Lue on Cavs' skid: 'Teams just look faster than we do at every position' Cf9fbe7ef81f5a047a2d5cc28480be6b

Tyronn Lue on Cavs' skid: 'Teams just look faster than we do at every position' Cf9fbe7ef81f5a047a2d5cc28480be6b

The Cavaliers coach is searching for answers as the team has now lost four of five games by an average of 16.8 points per loss.

After the Cavaliers suffered their fourth loss in five games Sunday, an ugly 114-95 defeat to the Knicks at home, coach Tyronn Lue had several thoughts about what's wrong.

Players and coaches need to work harder. The defense needs to step up.

And the team just looks slow.

"Right now, I don't know if it's (being) in shape-wise or what, but teams just look faster than we do at every position," Lue told reporters after the game, via ESPN.com. "They're running fast, they're sprinting, they're pushing the ball up the floor and it's like we can't keep up."

The Cavaliers (3-4) have used several different starting lineups to start the season, but with eight new players on the roster, chemistry is still developing. That includes the newcomers learning how to play alongside one of the NBA's all-time greats, LeBron James.

"I have had a chance to play with greats. Sometimes it's intimidating," Lue said. "You've got to come in and just play your game and adjust. I think a lot of time we defer to LeBron, or guys are afraid to be aggressive because of that."

It's obviously way too early to push the panic button, given Cleveland's talented roster. But Lue is not happy with the current skid. In those four losses in the last five games, the Cavs lost by an average of 16.8 points per game.

"Tonight's loss and the last couple are unacceptable, and the only way we're going to be able to get out of it is to put the work in — as players, as coaches," Lue said. "And we're going to do that. ... When you lose to teams the way we've been getting beat, it's unacceptable.

James said the defense needs to improve.

"Guys are just scoring at will against us," James said. "Our defense is pretty bad right now. So that's the number one thing."

bob
MY NOTE: How do you make players faster? You can't, they are what they are. How can you cover up or minimize their athletic deficiencies? With good coaching. That's how Brad did it with players who played hard but weren't uber athletes. That means you, Lue, you have to do more than just tell JR Smith and Love to stand at the arc and let LeBron and Kyrie work a two-man game with Smith and Love being nothing but escape hatches and on defense you can't just hope that almost 33-year old LeBron James can just fly in from anywhere to save the defense.

.

by **wideclyde** Mon Oct 30, 2017 2:07 pm

I have watched the Cavs twice this year and LeBron does seem to be slowing down. He is still a great player, but he moves slightly slower than last season.

This, of course, is something that happens to every player in every sport, but when your team's best by far player slows down I imagine that it is a little bit easier for the rest of the team (even their young guys) to slow down as well. Their coach has his hands full at this time.

Bob, not sure that the Cleveland coach is able to let LeBron and Kyrie work anything two man plays together these days. Perhaps, Coach Lue is still thinking in last year's terms? Probably wishes he was anyway.

by **k_j_88** Mon Oct 30, 2017 3:56 pm

Lue is getting exposed for the suspect coach that he really is.

Like BobH mentioned, you can'tmake players faster. And if they don't have the will to play defense, they'll be lucky to be an average team.

KJ

by **beat** Mon Oct 30, 2017 4:02 pm

wideclyde wrote:I have watched the Cavs twice this year and LeBron does seem to be slowing down. He is still a great player, but he moves slightly slower than last season.

This, of course, is something that happens to every player in every sport, but when your team's best by far player slows down I imagine that it is a little bit easier for the rest of the team (even their young guys) to slow down as well. Their coach has his hands full at this time.

Bob, not sure that the Cleveland coach is able to let LeBron and Kyrie work anything two man plays together these days. Perhaps, Coach Lue is still thinking in last year's terms? Probably wishes he was anyway.

And this is HOW early in the season?

What will he be like come May?

You can rest here and there but you can't rest every night.

beat

by **cowens/oldschool** Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:39 pm

wideclyde wrote:I have watched the Cavs twice this year and LeBron does seem to be slowing down. He is still a great player, but he moves slightly slower than last season.

This, of course, is something that happens to every player in every sport, but when your team's best by far player slows down I imagine that it is a little bit easier for the rest of the team (even their young guys) to slow down as well. Their coach has his hands full at this time.

Bob, not sure that the Cleveland coach is able to let LeBron and Kyrie work anything two man plays together these days. Perhaps, Coach Lue is still thinking in last year's terms? Probably wishes he was anyway.

Agreed he's been one of the greatest and deserves to be in the conversation, but nobody moves as well at 33 as they did at 25-26, it's just a fact. Lebron has definitely lost a half step, now he uses power and experience more and more, he's not the extreme high riser from years ago, he looks more and more like a better ball handling craftier version of Karl Malone, still a great player, his time is coming.

by **dboss** Mon Oct 30, 2017 5:51 pm

Maybe the Cavs will be forced to change their style.

Since they are struggling to keep up with a lot of teams maybe they should turn the page and slow things down.

dboss

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