Link to the Present & Live Thread: Cavs @ Pistons

Happy Tuesday afternoon, Cavs fans. Hopefully your day has been relatively stress-free, because a very fantastic Cavs-related article released earlier today is probably going to make your blood pressure rise: this inside scoop written by Ken Berger of Bleacher Report.

In the linked article, Mr. Berger draws from various insider sources to take a deep look at the current state of your Cleveland Cavaliers, pulling the curtain back on issues surrounding the team’s daily communication, management, ownership, and much more. I don’t want to paraphrase or regurgitate too much of Mr. Berger’s piece, so you should read it if you haven’t already.

The article illuminates a number of disturbing trends cropping up in Cleveland and possibly confirms some of the worst fears Cavs fans have had about the organization, especially those related to Dan Gilbert and the Cavs’ “power structure” (I use this term loosely). In short, this past tumultuous offseason has had lasting effects on the franchise as the state of the Cavs appears to be rotting from the inside out.

from Jim Mone/Associated Press and Bleacher Report

Not all of the drama is news. We’ve been along for the ride since the ousting of David Griffin and Kyrie Irving‘s S.O.S. trade request, with everything coming to a head this last week with an explosive, finger-pointy team meeting led by newcomer Isaiah Thomas. We wondered where Thomas found the gall to call out Kevin Love for being sick, especially considering the former’s underwhelming start to his career as a Cav. But Thomas’ confusion may have been more innocent than originally thought: according to the Bleacher Report article, the level of communication in Cleveland is so poor that none of the players actually knew Love was dismissed from a game and the following day’s practice because he was sick. Not only that, but the article insinuates that had one of the players simply asked a trainer about Kevin, they would have found an answer.

What?

Imagine working in an environment like the one described above. It’s hard to say which is more flabbergasting, the failure of the Cavs staff to communicate Love’s status or the players’ lack of caring enough to ask about their M.I.A. teammate’s well-being. But, apparently in Cavs-land, players conspicuously vanishing without word is par for the course *cough-Derrick-Rose-cough*. Kevin Love still just can’t seem to get any love.

Remember him?

Once upon a time, the Cavs had David Griffin to act as a buffer between players and front office. He kept communication open and constantly had the pulse of his team. Is anyone left filling this void now? Well, Berger’s article informs us that at least one line of communication that is apparently up and running is the one between Gilbert and Thomas. The following passage paints a particularly damning portrayal of what Comic Sans Dan’s love affair with IT3 means for the team:

Thomas has become a favorite of Gilbert, and they often exchange calls and text messages, a league source familiar with their relationship told B/R. This isn’t necessarily unusual on a team with an owner who is as involved in the basketball side of things as Gilbert is. It also isn’t great for locker room chemistry, because the rest of the players know it.

“LeBron just looks at everybody as a shill for Dan,” the league source said.

We can safely put to rest any doubts that Gilbert has a weird obsession with dimunutive point guards. What’s worse is that much of the Cavs’ drama appears to be directly related to Gilbert’s reclamation of power within the franchise. It’s as many of us feared — @CavsDan is calling the shots and Koby Altman is window dressing. Maybe things wouldn’t be so bad if Isaiah Thomas didn’t look like such an awful fit after months of anticipation for his return. At the present moment, however, the void left by Kyrie’s departure looms larger by the day. This frustrating season also reportedly has the players losing hope in themselves. So many signs point to doom and gloom.

Still, things can change fast in the NBA and there is time to right the ship. A trade here and some lineup tweaks there could put the Cavs right back on the road to a championship and all would be well. Besides, how much stock can one put into thoughts from an article that draws almost entirely from unnamed sources? Ask Kyle Korver or Channing Frye and you’d be led to believe the smoke does not lead to fire.

There is also the LeBron James factor, because with that guy there is always a chance. And really, that’s who everything really all comes back to: LeBron. How does this season reflect on his legacy? Does he stay or leave Cleveland again? LeBron holds the future of the franchise in his oversized mitts. The reality that Dan Gilbert faces is going down as the guy who ran a basketball team so awfully he drove the potential GOAT off of his hometown team twice, unfair of not; remember, we’re also talking about an owner who has shown to be willing to spend on the team from his own pockets without limit. Is it any surprise there have floated rumors of Gilbert’s desire to sell the Cavs? Sheesh.

The Cavs organization has a surplus of oversized egos that should be checked at the door. Maybe this group pulls it together, maybe they don’t. Whatever happens, this Cavalier season appears to be heading for either epic success or colossal failure, without much middle ground. It should be more fun to root for a Cavs team with championship aspirations but this is where we are. Whatever happens, just try to remember to bask in every second that this legendary athlete from Northeast Ohio plays for his local pro team. We may never see anything else like it.

…

Anywho, the Cavs have a game tonight, as you surely know. They take to the road to face the Detroit Pistons for the second time in a row and look to win three games in a row for the first time this year and the first time since December 17th.

In Sunday’s game, Cleveland trotted out a “new” lineup that moved Kevin Love back to his natural power forward position and Tristan Thompson back to the starting center spot where he’s played for the Cavs three trips to the Finals. It seemed to spur the team to the tune of a 17-point victory for the Wine & Gold. Will the lineup shuffle translate into more winning basketball for the Cavs? And how will Isaiah Thomas respond after sitting out all of the Cavs’ dominant fourth quarter from Sunday?

In other major news, the Pistons recently completed the biggest trade of the NBA season thus far, in which the team acquired Blake Griffin, Willie Reed, Brice Johnson from the Los Angeles Clippers. You may have heard. In exchange, Detroit shipped off Avery Bradley, Tobias Harris, Boban Marjanovic, and draft picks. The Pistons would love to play their shiny new toys in tonight’s game but have opted to hold the news guys out for now while they get acclimated.

Will the new-look Pistons prove to be a challenger in the East? Or will the Cavs make short work of a team that will be adjusting on the fly? You never know what you’re gonna get with this Cavs team. Tune into TNT at 8:00 PM EST to catch the Central Division showdown, and whether you’re frustrated or hopeful about the Cavs’ past/present/future, be sure to sound off in the comments section!