Spending essentially my entire life in Cleveland, I've come to know a thing or two about work ethic. In a blue collar culture like this old Rust Belt town on Lake Erie, teamwork and effort are must have tools for success. Nothing changes when it comes to our beloved sports franchises.
As the opening week to the NBA has come and gone, a promising season can be seen on the horizion. We have seen flashes of Kobe being Kobe, some thrilling buzzer beaters and an array of spectacular plays. But on one thing that is left to be desired is the great play of the greatest player in the world.
Wait a minute, was that a complaint about what's going on in the NBA already? You are most certainly right. But not from me, it's more of a collective groan from Cavalier fans that gets louder and louder as if it were early morning fog growing thicker as it rolled in off the shores of the lake.
It's about as mind boggling as Allen Iverson realizing that we are still talking about practice man, PRACTICE. Really? 4 games in? One week of the season and our collective fan based is in fear of losing everything?
Picture this: you walk into your job tomorrow and they tell you that your boss has been fired. After several interviews and even some people turning down the job offer, the company finds a replacement. Soon after, fellow employees leave for greener pastures or are terminated (for lack of a better metaphor). Your HR department scours the talent pool to find replacements.
After weeks of work the company is able to aquire even some of the top talent in your field. A scramble for complimentary coworkers continues as the direction of the company is still being determined. "What's your point?" you may ask.
Well this is what the Cavalier franchise is going through. In less than fives month the Cavs have hired a new head coach and 66 percent of their roster was not on team last season. That includes the best player in the league and arguably the NBA's best power forward.
No, I didn't think you would. Because as in anything that involves multiple people working together to achieve a goal, certain elements are necessary. Things like, I don't know, chemistry? Actually knowing who the hell the people are that you are working with.
Maybe some decent communication skills and lingo, like hey, I know we've never worked together so where do store your important files? Whats the chain of command or even your preferred work style?
Ironically it is forgotten that people that put on the jerseys are just that, PEOPLE. They don't know everything about everybody. This team has never played together.
There are undoubtedly conversations like "we haven't played together so how do you call out play sets and defensive rotations?" Heaven forbid, that after playing for a bottom dwelling Timberwolves team, Kevin Love isn't accustomed to operating in the championship ways of LeBron's former Miami Heat team.
We have a team full of guys that have to implement a new coach (who has never coached in this league), new players, new schemes...All. New. Everything. And you're at home angrily punching in your 140 characters like a spoiled rich kid receiving Fiji water instead of Voss (big up to the bottles Voss uses though).
It's been FOUR games homie. You didn't receive your college degree after taking 2 summer course during between high school and freshman year did you? Even if you don't understand a single thing about sports or teamwork, IT HAS ONLY BEEN FOUR GAMES!!
There are 78 left in just the regular season. So my advice for all the antsy, over-analyzing basketball experts out there...relax. Come talk to me if we are mud-March and still below .500 sitting in the 9th seed. Then you have a legit complaint. But until then.....
In the words of the great @AaronRodgers12 "RELAX"
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 6, 2014
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