LeBron James, Cavaliers ‘not a championship team’ this season, says analyst

The Cleveland Cavaliers will try to defend their title in the upcoming 2017 NBA Playoffs. According to one NBA analyst, LeBron James’ team is currently “not a championship team,” basing on what they have shown so far in the 2016-2017 NBA regular season.

Rodger Sherman of The Ringer opines that the recent Cavaliers’ loss to the Chicago Bulls was a “troubling one” and could be a sign of things to come for Cleveland.

“We know the incredible heights Cleveland can reach. But we also know that this year’s Cavs team is capable of losing to a sub-.500 team suffering an identity crisis,” Sherman wrote referring to a struggling Bulls team that are not even assured of making the postseason.

With the loss to the Bulls, the Cavaliers lost their No. 1 spot again in the Eastern Conference standings. Cleveland dropped to 47-27 and allowed the Boston Celtics to regain the top spot with a 48-27 record.

The recent Cavaliers’ loss is not a fluke too. The Cavs have lost three in a row, to the Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Washington Wizards and have lost five of their last seven games. Aside from falling to the Dwyane Wade-less Bulls, the most recent disappointing loss was to the Spurs, who beat LeBron’s team via a blowout, 103-74 in San Antonio.

Sherman contends that the Cavaliers might just be cruising to end the regular season. He says that the Cavs know they can turn it on again during the NBA Playoffs.

This is the Cavs team that was down 1-3 to the Golden State Warriors in last year’s finals and still won in seven games. They also have a prime James, who is still considered the best player in the NBA.

‘The Cavs know that the most important thing at this point of the year is getting to Game no. 83 with LeBron rested, healthy, and happy. Fighting for the 1-seed is meaningful, but LeBron’s teams have failed to earn the top seed four times in the last six years, and he’s made the Finals each time,” Sherman added.

It could be pointless to worry about LeBron James and the Cavaliers since they are still the favorites to win the East even if they land with a lower seed than the Celtics. The defending champions know this but they have to address some internal issues if they want to return to the NBA Finals and get another championship ring.