At 6-7 this season, the Cleveland Cavaliers are hardly in a good spot in the Eastern Conference. Fresh off their run to the Eastern Conference Finals, we expected the Cavs to be better than this, but one thing after another just keeps getting in the way.
Their latest dilemma happened just this week, when the team got stuck in Miami due to the nationwide ground stop for all airports on Friday. The Cavaliers (who are on the second night of a back-to-back) could only fly back home this morning, leading star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell to argue that tonight’s game against the Dallas Mavericks should be canceled. While the match stayed on, Mitchell didn’t have to play anyway after the Cavs opted to sit nearly their entire rotation, including Jarrett Allen, James Harden, Sam Merrill, and Peyton Watson.
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Before tip-off, head coach Kenny Atkinson explained the decision, revealing that it was a collaboration of several internal departments.
“I do think you have more internal conversations,” said Atkinson before tip-off. “Sports science, athletic training, front office, there’s a lot of thought that goes into it, and I know our default is player care and player health, above all. That’s how we approach things, and we put everything into the conversation. You have to come up with decisions, and I know our first priority is what’s in the best interest of player health and player care long-term.”
Admittedly, it would have been tough to play in tonight’s game after flying in the same day. It completely disrupts pre-game routines and rituals, increasing injury risk and throwing players off their usual rhythm. That’s why Mitchell wanted to cancel the match, as neither his mind nor body was ready for a competitive battle.
The problem is, tonight was a home game for Cleveland, meaning they ruined the viewing experience for their own fanbase. As a result, many of them spoke out against their team, calling them out for wasting the time and money of those who bought tickets to the game.
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“Biggest load of bullsh*t I ever heard. If that is the case, then just forfeit the game and go home,” one fan posted. “No one should play then. Shame on the Cavs organization. Home game Saturday night.”
“I see they aren’t exactly trying to beat the reputation of being soft,” another fan wrote. “Sitting your stars for a home game is weak.”
“I was close to purchasing game tickets and the DAZN Pass again, but after this, I’m not investing my time into this soft organization,” wrote a disgruntled fan. “This doesn’t represent CLE.”
“Basically a throwaway game for the Cavs,” a fan replied. “If they don’t give a sh*t, why should we?”
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This careless and nonchalant attitude isn’t entirely new for the Cavaliers. Over the past few years, they’ve been criticized for being caught “going through the motions” in their games and giving less than maximum effort. Then there are the ugly playoff losses and decisions like this, where they essentially give away a very important game.
In this case, the Cavaliers could really use some momentum right now, and tonight at home would have been the perfect chance to get it. But unless they somehow pull off a miracle, the Cavaliers will take another loss to move to 6-8 on the season. That’s far from the start we were hoping for, and the last thing their fans expected.
Nevertheless, the Cavs have no regrets over playing it safe tonight. They value health over everything, even if it means disappointing their most loyal fans.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
