The struggles continue for the wine and gold

The Cleveland Cavaliers have seem to hit their annual winter slump. In their last fourteen games, the wine and gold are 3-11. The defensive play is lazy and the response on offense is stagnant and unresponsive.

The Cavs currently have many issues, including poor play in the second half, particularly in the third quarter.

This was especially glaring last night when Cleveland missed all nine 3s and shot 6-20 from the field. During this slump, the Cavaliers would watch their 20 point lead evaporate. It was the second time in three games the Cavs were outscored by 16 points in the third quarter.

In its last three games, Cleveland has blown a 22-point first-half lead to Indiana and was up by as many as nine on the Warriors Monday.

“You always want to see them beat their rivals, but the continuous loss of large leads is unacceptable” said sophomore John Papesh.

Thanks to an Elfrid Payton missed layup with two second left, the Cavaliers were able to pull out a 104-103 win for their first victory since January 6, also against the Magic.

"We want to play better and we know we have the ability to do it but right now we're in Strugglesville," said LeBron James. "But it felt like a win. We needed it. Definitely."

Another major concern for the Cavaliers is turnovers. LeBron James recorded six turnovers on the night, including one to Aaron Gordon that led to the go-ahead bucket for Orlando. On Thursday, Cleveland committed 19 turnovers that led to 27 Orlando points.

"When we turn the basketball over, it's hard for us to get back," coach Tyronn Lue said. "And that was the only way they could get back in the game. So, not playing through the game for 48 minutes, it hurt us tonight."

There has been much concern over the interest and energy levels of this veteran Cavaliers team and this could very well be a factor in the lackadaisical turnovers and defense.

One last concern for the Cavaliers is age. They are the oldest team in the NBA with an average age of 29.5. Experience can only take you so far if you are on the court playing, not on the bench due to injury.

It is likely the Cavaliers will look to make a splash as the trade deadline nears as it is clear the current roster is simply unable to compete night-in and night-out. Cleveland holds valuable assets such as Brooklyn’s first round pick. With this being said, you could you a complete reboot of the franchise should the season not end well.

“The Cavs look bored and uninterested. They have so much talent but are wasting it all away,” stated Freshman Nick Boehm