No one knows what’s going on with the Cavaliers behind closed doors.
No one outside the team’s inner circle has a good handle on how the Big Three are getting along, can accurately read the Cavs’ off-the-court dynamics or judge the strength of the relationships beyond the obvious ones.
But one thing is certain. During the first eight games of their playoff run, the Cavs have had a raucous good time.
Players on the bench could not contain their excitement during Sunday’s closeout victory over the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference semifinals at Philips Arena. They seemed to stand more often than they sat, frequently spilling onto the court when the action was at the other end.
Those reactions haven’t been limited to the postseason, according to Beacon Journal beat writer Jason Lloyd. They were more evident to Cleveland’s media contingent because it was seated behind the basket near the visitors’ bench. Nor are the celebrations exclusive to the Cavs, with the Golden State Warriors just as flamboyant in their revelry.
But LeBron James’ postgame bear hug of Kevin Love on Sunday evening seemed to indicate that the Cavs apparently have bonded in their mission to capture an NBA championship, no matter how strong their ties.
J.R. Smith said the Cavs try to play like they did in Game 4 all the time, “but sometimes it doesn’t work like that.” He said the fact that they came together contributed to the postgame emotion.
“For whatever reason, you can see it on the guys’ faces, the guys’ communication throughout the huddles, the communication on the court,” Smith said afterward. “You could tell guys really wanted this game. Whenever you really want something and you work hard for it, it’s always great to achieve that goal.”
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said, “I just think it felt good to get a win like that, especially on the road, coming together, down one with 1:13 left.”
Guard Matthew Dellavedova tried to capture the feeling on the bench.
“One through 15, everybody is in it 100 percent of the time,” Dellavedova said Sunday. “It’s fun on the bench when everyone’s like that, going crazy. It’s hard to see sometimes because everybody’s standing up. It’s a lot of fun right now and we just want to keep it going.”
Taking a break
They won’t get that chance until at least Sunday as the Cavs await the winner of the series between the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat, currently tied 2-2, in the Eastern Conference finals.
Ironically, Detroit Pistons rookie Stanley Johnson criticized the Cavs’ bench behavior and trash talking after Game 2 of their first-round series, which also ended in a sweep.
“Their whole team does. Kind of like they’re little cheerleaders,” Johnson said April 20. “Every time you walk into the right corner, they’re always saying something like they’re actually in the game. There’s only seven [or] eight players who play for them. I don’t see why the other players were talking. You might as well be in the stands.”
What Johnson said pointed to a growing sense of closeness, at least in terms of a team uniting in its goal to win a title. In an April 26 interview with the Beacon Journal, Cavaliers General Manager David Griffin also noted the hidden message in Johnson’s mockery.
“He was taking a shot at us for lack of depth, but what he was really doing was highlighting one of the real strengths of the team,” Griffin said. “When Kyrie [Irving] and LeBron and Kevin are on the bench, they’re doing the same thing.”
Griffin credited Lue for the Cavs’ bench demeanor and their level of engagement, calling the rookie coach “a leader of men.”
Confidence grows
But Griffin believes there are many reasons the Cavs have been “galvanized.”
“It’s not just one person. I think they have confidence in each other now,” Griffin said. “They understand they’ve been through the war together a little bit and they know they’re going to have each other’s back and they understand they’re beholden to each other. That’s partly Ty, to a huge degree it’s LeBron’s leadership, to a huge degree it’s Kyrie and Kevin embracing their roles.”
After a Game 2 victory over the Hawks at Quicken Loans Arena, Irving mentioned the team’s trust and level of preparation as the reasons the Cavs are playing so well. Tristan Thompson agreed with that assessment, saying, “We have so many players who can do so many great things.”
Perhaps trust should not be mistaken for camaraderie. Perhaps reading too much into the craziness on the bench is a mistake. Perhaps Griffin will have to tinker with the roster in the offseason to get the right mix of personalities, no matter when the playoffs end.
But if the Cavs continue to come together for more hard-fought victories and more gleeful celebrations, maybe they’ll find their bond in joy.
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.