Any Cavaliers fans with dreams of their team going 82-0 and rolling to the NBA Finals can forget it — and that’s coming from LeBron James himself.
Speaking Monday in Columbus, Ohio, where the Cavs and Bulls will play an exhibition, the King said adversity is not only something he expects the Cavs to face this season, he said it will be a good thing.
"You've got to go through something to create a bond; that means for the worse," James told ESPN. "We've got to lose ballgames that we think we should've won, we've got to get into an argument every now and then just to test each other out."
He should know. When he first took his talents to South Beach, joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, the Heat stumbled out to a 9-8 start, amid issues with team chemistry and locker room problems.
"It has to happen. I know it is going to happen," James said. "A lot of guys don't see it, but I see it. That's the only way we're going to be able to grow. You don't define yourself during the good times, you define yourself through the bad times. That's for the players and the coaching staff as well."
There is plenty of anticipation in Cleveland for a big season from the Cavs, who not only brought James back home from Miami, but also traded for former T-Wolves star Kevin Love to team with Kyrie Irving.
James even said the Bulls are better than his Cavs right now.
“(The Bulls) are a team that's much better than us right now just off chemistry. They've been together for awhile. We've got a long way to go.”
Due to injuries, James, Love and Irving have not played together in the preseason. That will change Monday night .
"We haven't had the opportunity to see them all together as yet," Cavs coach David Blatt said. "I have an idea in my mind, I have a feeling about it. Is that tried and true? Up to this point, honestly it's not. ... But I see them at practice and I obviously know the players, their skill-set and their basketball IQ and their willingness to play together, so I'm pretty optimistic about it."
0 comments:
Post a Comment