LeBron James praises Cleveland Cavaliers' personnel and their work ethic: "I don’t see too many guys all over social media, showing off they got this, they got that"
LeBron James hasn't lost his fondness for the Cleveland Cavaliers, even when he’s playing for another team. After losing to the young and streaking Cavs, the Akron, Ohio native only had praise for the team that drafted him.
Here’s what the four-time MVP had to say when he was asked to evaluate the current version of the Cleveland Cavaliers:
“They have a really good team and a great coach, well balanced and a bunch of kids on their team that just seem like they wanna just play ball. I’m looking at their roster. I don’t see too many guys all over social media, showing off they got this, they got that.
“It’s a bunch of guys that just come to work and play ball. It’s definitely a joy for a coach and the coaching staff when you know that you have a bunch of kids that wanna come in and play ball and a grandpa who looks over everybody in Kevin Love.”
LeBron James on getting Anthony Davis more involve offensively and the #Lakers' mentality moving forward. https://t.co/hUddx7PizZ
The Cleveland Cavaliers made their presence known last season behind the All-Star core of Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen and then-rookie Evan Mobley. Only injuries to Mobley and Garland in the latter part of the season caused the team to slip out of playoff contention.
While LeBron James and the LA Lakers were consistently in the headlines with one potential trade after another, Cleveland quietly engineered the biggest offseason trade. The Cavaliers acquired high-scoring All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz.
ESPN story on the Cleveland Cavaliers landing three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell in a blockbuster trade with the Utah Jazz: es.pn/3AA2QD2
Cleveland traded three players and future first-round picks to pair Mitchell with Garland. The result has been exciting to Cavaliers fans and ominous to opponents. After their win against the Lakers, they now hold an 8-1 record, second-best in the NBA after the unbeaten Milwaukee Bucks.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently sixth in offensive rating, second in defensive rating and top in net rating. They’re only going to get better as Donovan Mitchell becomes even more comfortable playing alongside Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
LeBron James’ LA Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are trending in opposite directions
While the Cleveland Cavaliers are near or at the top of advanced metrics, LeBron James’ LA Lakers are floundering, except in defense. LA is fifth in defensive rating but dead last in offensive rating. If their defense takes a vacation, as it did in the second half of back-to-back games against the Utah Jazz and Cleveland, they are toast.
LA’s offense has also become very predictable, which is the opposite of how the Cavaliers play. Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff has his players moving with the purpose of manipulating defenses their way. They consistently carved the Lakers open with pin-downs and back cuts.
Part of what makes the Cavaliers so tough to contain is their ability to hit from 3-point range. They are fourth in 3-point shooting efficiency with 38.9%. Their combination of shooting, speed and length has made life difficult for opponents.
CAVS WIN 8 IN A ROW!! https://t.co/9yej9JGwHe
LeBron James and the LA Lakers, on the other hand, are the worst 3-point shooting team in the league. Combined with their deliberate style of play, they have struggled to score consistently.
If the trend continues, LeBron James could be headed for another playoff-less season while his home team could surge to the top of the East.