INDEPENDENCE: The fact J.R. Smith wandered off the floor during Tuesday’s embarrassing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, then compounded matters by wearing a ski mask afterwards and playing dumb about it speaks to a larger issue facing the Cavaliers’ title defense.
Coach Tyronn Lue is trying to fight off complacency within the defending champions. Realistically, there is no one in the East that can prevent them from making a third consecutive trip to the NBA Finals provided they stay healthy, so the motivation must come from within. In early December, when the Cavs have already raced out to the best record in the conference, that can be difficult.