ORLANDO, FLA.: Here they come now, this team of slings and bandages and incisions and timetables. Here they come for the rest of the league.
While the Golden State Warriors continue their march toward history, the Cavaliers are quietly trading stitches for laces and surgeries for sneakers. Perhaps it’s no coincidence Timofey Mozgov’s best night of the season came on the same night Iman Shumpert returned. Or that the Cavs produced their most emphatic win on the night Shumpert returned, knowing full well Kyrie Irving is drafting right behind him.
It hasn’t been pretty, but the Cavs have stomped, sweat and spit their way to the top mark in the East despite the injuries, road woes and a general lack of effort some nights.
The Warriors have been blessed with tremendous health the last two seasons as they march into history’s arms; the Cavaliers have not. Since acquiring Timofey Mozgov, J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert last January, the Cavs have played 88 games (counting the postseason). Those three players, plus LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love have only been available for 39 of them. They’re 32-7 in those games, an .820 winning percentage that factors out to 67 wins over a full season — fantastic and attention-worthy in any year except this one.
While the Cavs celebrated their destruction of the Orlando Magic on Friday, the Warriors were in Boston facing adversity for one of the few times this season. The Cavs have been without key pieces all season, yet the one time the Warriors were without Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes, the Celtics pushed them to double overtime and came an Isaiah Thomas miss at the end of the first overtime away from ending perfection.
What the Warriors are doing this season is unthinkable and worthy of all the praise they’re receiving. Asked if they could break the Chicago Bulls mark of 72 wins, Magic coach Scott Skiles (only half-jokingly) responded Friday, “Looks like they can win 82 to me.”
The Warriors are a joy to watch and have captivated the league during a time the NFL typically dominates the sports world. But it’s hard not to wonder where the Cavs would be today if not for their health issues.
The television in the Cavs’ locker room late Saturday night was turned to a meaningless Spurs-Lakers game while the Warriors and Celtics traded baskets at the end of regulation. Maybe it was by design, a subtle message to illustrate they’re focused on themselves and uninterested in the Warriors’ triumphs.
If so, it’s a losing battle. A number of Cavs players have already conceded privately they’d love to see the Warriors unbeaten on Christmas Day. They’ve come this far, why not take it all the way to 28-0 before the Cavs invade Oracle? The league is certainly rooting for it, since it would likely create one of the highest rated regular season games in history.
But there is still work to be done. Asked Friday if he felt like all the pieces were finally coming together, Cavs coach David Blatt said no.
“Not quite yet,” he said. “We’re not there yet.”
They may not have arrived, but the train is finally leaving the station with almost all of the passengers. Shumpert just sat down and is buckling his seat belt, Smith should be back for Tuesday’s game at the Celtics and then Irving will be following close behind.
Slowly but surely they’re coming, coming together now, coming for the rest of the league and most certainly coming for the Warriors. They won’t admit it publicly, but the Cavs are quietly watching the Warriors from afar. They’re watching history.
“Happy Birthday to the Warriors for what they doing,” Shumpert said Friday. “But we have to worry about what we’ve got going on.”
The Cavs hope to have a present for the Warriors on Christmas Day.
Jason Lloyd can be reached at jlloyd@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Cavs blog at www.ohio.com/cavs. Follow him on Twitter www.twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ.