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SAN FRANCISCO – The limited number of people inside the Chase Center saw it. Much like NBA viewers across the country – if they watched a late-night game in February between the Golden State Warriors and the plummeting Cleveland Cavaliers. For those who missed it live, the moment is all over social media.
They were there. Jarrett Allen and Collin Sexton. Two teammates yell at each other, make nasty gestures, wave their arms angrily, make their way to the visitor’s locker room while being separated by two coaches and veteran JaVale McGee.
Optics weren’t great, especially for a team that had lost seven straight games in the road trip final, was in the midst of an Andre Drummond drama that led to some good questions about the unit of the team and had spent the week trying to reassure anyone who was willing to believe them. that they hadn’t fractured.
The warriors enjoyed the spectacle. They stayed on the pitch to watch the argument. Stephen Curry laughed.
Since when is accountability a bad thing? Sometimes arguments can be healthy. Sometimes they come from a good place. I mean, it’s not like Allen violently whipped a basketball at the feet of Cedi Osman (hey, Kevin Love) in the middle of an offensive possession in hopes of proving a point.
While the relationship between Sexton and Allen – important to the maturing of the organization – will now be placed under a microscope, the body language between them will be broken down over the next few weeks and it is worth watching in the future. , Monday. a heated verbal altercation does not necessarily mean that the players do not like each other.
“They just had a conversation and I’m fine,” Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff said after the 129-98 loss. “Something happened on the floor and they had to resolve it. I don’t think it was such a big deal. When we entered the locker room at half-time, it was over. We discussed it and we continued. If you never have a conflict, you never have a resolution. There is nothing wrong with having a little bit of conflict as long as it leads to a resolution. “
The biggest point is that someone – Allen or Sexton – messed up the defensive cover that led to an undisputed dunk for Draymond Green in the last minute. It seemed to be Sexton’s fault, although it wasn’t that relevant. Those communication breakdowns and mental lapses were a point of frustration throughout this messy road trip, as the Cavs lost their defensive identity within the first few weeks. If there is any hope of ending this slippage, these games must end.
Allen knows it. Sexton too. Letting it slide without saying anything would have been worse. These issues need to be addressed immediately – even if it means a temporary shouting match in front of an interested audience.
“It’s basketball,” Allen said. “Tensions will rise. Normally, I’m not the person to start yelling, but I was just frustrated with everything and then Collin was there. We started to scream. But one thing you need to know, there isn’t a second that I wouldn’t fight for this guy. I went out and yelled at him. We figured it out in the locker room. When we’re there, we’ll go to war for each other.
Allen admitted it wasn’t just a game that started him. He was also angered with the ref because of a no-appeal just before the buzzer. Of course, constant loss doesn’t help either. Everyone is nervous. The Cavs are being tested. Their defense is a disaster. The offense looks broken. The good vibes are gone.
“We’ve lost what seems like 20 in a row, we just can’t seem to get out of this little rut we’re in,” Allen said. “We have defense gaps. Sometimes once we play perfect defense, the next possession, we’ll mess up a little thing that leads to another team’s bucket.
Responsibility also means looking in the mirror. When asked specifically how the Cavs can improve their crumbling defense, Allen spoke about pick and roll defense and other sets that seem to be problematic.
“I have to be better, our guards have to be better,” Allen said. “Backdoor cuts, you can see tonight, Draymond (Green) picked us in terms of backdoor cuts. All the other teams keep turning away from us and cutting us off. Just mental failures on the defensive side. Sometimes we will forget about the cover. Sometimes we’ll do something we didn’t agree on in pre-practice.
With Drummond being held back until the Cavs find a workable trade before the March 25 deadline and Larry Nance Jr. sidelined with a broken left hand, Allen is now the centerpiece of the defense. He’s got to be the voice and rim protector, the last line of defense if and when the Cleveland Guards get defeated in dribbling. It’s a lot of responsibility. Sometimes that means reporting errors. Whatever it takes – within reason, of course – to correct these flaws.
Even Sexton would agree with this. Heck, he said so after Friday’s loss to Portland, another game in which the Cavs gave up more than 120 points.
“Right now we’re having conversations and it’s not about trying to show your teammate,” Sexton said that night. “We all want one goal and that is to win. So know that it doesn’t come from a bad place. We don’t have bad guys saying things. If anyone says it, they sincerely mean it and want us to improve. You have to be responsible for your job, you have to make sure your teammate is responsible. “
Ahead of the team’s road trip, Allen and others said it was an opportunity to learn more about themselves. Well, they did. This is not a good way.
“We still have a long way to go. I’ve learned we need to lock in more during games. After we beat Brooklyn, we kind of relaxed a bit,” Allen said. “And now that we’ve done that. this road trip and that we have lost every game in this road trip, I hope this can be a wake-up call for all of us.
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