* Tonight on ESPN: Cavaliers vs. Wizards (7 ET)
Struggles have been the norm for the Cleveland Cavaliers of late, as they have lost four straight games and sit at 3-5. Tonight’s matchup with the Washington Wizards gives Cleveland a chance to get things right, which has been job No. 1 for Cavs coach Tyronn Lue. ESPN.com’s Dave McMenamin reports from Friday’s shootaround that Lue and star LeBron James are ready for a chance at retribution and are taking very different approaches to things.
* Wade compares struggling Cavs to 2014 Heat
Lue, McMenamin writes, admitted he hasn’t slept much recently as he tries to figure out what’s ailing the Cavs. James, on the other hand, is trying not to let the team’s early-season struggles get him down:
Having lost four in a row and five of their last six games, Lue and his coaching staff have tried to turn things around schematically. Cavs superstar LeBron James, meanwhile, is not letting the losing streak affect him spiritually.
“We’re definitely struggling right now, which is OK,” James said Friday. “I felt that we would struggle at some point throughout the season. I think it’s surprising to all of us that it’s happening right now, but hey, it is what it is and it’s exciting to see how we can turn this thing around.”
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However, Lue would rather get the bad basketball out of the way now and build until April, rather than be as uneven as his teams have been in the past.
“I think it makes us better,” Lue said. “I think going through it now early in the season, instead of going through it late when you want to hit your peak and playing great going into the playoffs. Right now, it’s a rough patch, but it’s no excuse. We have to be better and we will.”
To James, though, the goal is to provide the right motivation for his team in a key showdown with an Eastern Conference contender.
“I think that it’s going to be challenging on the guys that’s been here the last few years to continue to try to motivate themselves to want to get back to the Finals,” James said. “That’s always the challenging thing. When you’ve done it three straight years, or some guys two straight years, then complacency can sometimes creep in, or the short summers or things of that nature, or you feel like you can turn it on when you want to.
“Got to figure out a way to motivate yourself to get back to that top level of game. I know where my mind is. I’ve done it seven straight years, so I know how to get back into the flow of things. I know how to mentally prepare myself for a long haul, so it’s going to be challenging, but I think we should be up for it. We still have a 30-point scorer, All-Star point guard that’s coming soon. That’s exciting.”
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