The Cleveland Cavaliers path to the NBA Finals is not looking as smooth as it was once predicted.
Real challengers from the East have emerged with their recent drubbing from the Miami Heat and the Toronto Raptors continuing their solid performance. The Raptors could even pull the rug from the Cavs and steal the no.1 seed.
With the Cavs floundering in the regular season, their team is under scrutiny once again. The talent is never a question, as their assembly of stars continues to be one of the most enviable in the league. However, their team chemistry needs to be addressed, specifically LeBron James and the other stars of the team, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
If the Cavs fail to win it all, or even make the Finals, there is a good chance that the Cleveland front office (which some people also call "LeBron James") may think that a trade could be necessary.
Kyrie Irving could find himself calling a stadium not named Quicken Loans Arena as his home by next season, and here are three reasons why.
Kyrie Irving is not a "pass-first" point guard
It is evident even in a game that they actually won. Kyrie Irving scored 33 points and made the controversial game winning steal against the Dallas Mavericks, he did not get his teammates involved as much as they want to, as Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com noted.
"Players are growing tired of Irving's inability to not only register a proper amount of assists at the lead guard position, but also to just move the ball," Haynes wrote. "Did Irving pass more than once? Of course, but only when he was forced to do so. At one point in the second quarter, he dribbled relentlessly for 24 seconds and went nowhere."
Kyrie Irving is not in good terms with LeBron James and even the rest of the Cavs
This is not to say that Irving is wrong and LeBron James is right to muscle everyone off the team, but it is simply what happens with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Irving is a talent that most teams would want, but for him to flourish, he has to be the main playmaker-a role that LeBron James elects to have at this stage in his career.
Most critics would condemn the alleged policy of letting the King run the team (or at least have too much influence in the decision making) but he has already demonstrated to the people of Cleveland the effects of his departure. Not even no.1 draft picks could bring the team anywhere close to the playoffs. Team owner Dan Gilbert knows this.
On that note, the relationship between LeBron and Kyrie has gone south to the point that only a championship might save it. Dan Devine of Yahoo Sports also mentioned that it might not be confined to their former MVP:
"If multiple Cavaliers believe Irving's being too selfish with the ball - even if the numbers don't totally bear that out, and even if Lue literally told him to be - to the degree that they're anonymously grumbling about it, even after a win, then maybe the chemistry issue extends beyond just Irving and James."
Kyrie Irving Could Be Traded For Better Fits
Irving is by no means a bad player. He is an All-Star and few would question that. However, talent is no longer enough to win a title with teams like the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs showing the invincibility of seamless team play.
The Cavs could get quality point guards in return for Irving like Eric Bledsoe or even Chris Paul. Bledsoe has already attached himself to LeBron and Paul has already established himself and his "brand" and is at the stage of his career that he has only a singular purpose (winning a title).