Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt has some brass ones.
Losers of their last five, the Cavaliers are fading fast. They’re now owners of the Eastern Conference’s sixth seed, behind the Milwaukee Bucks, and are 1-8 without LeBron James, whose nine absences are a single-season career high.
Asked about the Cavaliers still having a Big Two in Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, David Blatt responded thusly, per Joe Vardon of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:
Take James out of the fold, and what remains is still a Big 2, is it not?
“Kev’s not a max player yet, is he?” Cavaliers coach David Blatt said Sunday night.
That comment — “Kev’s not a max player yet” — had Blatt trending on Twitter last night.
It was a response to my question, although, really, I hadn’t yet asked anything and had merely stated that James was out but Irving and Love were still here, and they’re “max” players.
Oh, David.
Even Vardon notes it’s “highly unlikely” that the rookie head honcho meant to criticize Love so strongly. It could be that he was just frustrated, showing symptoms of a five-game losing streak. Or maybe he was just trying to bring attention to the fact that, despite Love averaging 23-plus points on 46.7 percent shooting over the last five, the Cavaliers are still 0-5 during that time.
Whatever he was trying do, the aftermath isn’t going to be pretty. Skeptics are already questioning whether Love will leave Cleveland this summer as a free agent, even though he’s said all the right things publicly. That speculation is only going to heighten now—no matter what Blatt or Love says. And if it’s not Love, it will be Blatt, who has been given the reins to a star-stuffed roster and failed to deliver immediately. Right or wrong, injured or healthy, the Cavaliers were expected to be an instant powerhouse. Instead, they’re merely existing within a submissive Eastern Conference. While the Cavaliers should at least let him finish the season, his seat will be on fire ahead of the summer if things don’t change.
These are distractions the Cavaliers really don’t need right now. They’re already battling chemistry issues and trying to play through the aftereffects of injuries and trades. Enduring more controversy won’t do anything to help them survive or improve.
There is only the light of LeBron’s impending return to hold them over. He remains the most prolific talent on planet Earth, and his absence can be used as an excuse that justifies the Cavaliers’ downturn. Once he returns, however, they’re on the clock. The results of their inaugural season will need to change, lest heads start to roll.
