Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue hasn't gotten to the point where he's considering lineup changes.
"No. Not yet," he said.
Instead, Lue said he hopes embarrassment will push the Cavs (4-6), who have lost six of their last eight, to play with more energy and aggression at the start of games. They get another chance to fix the issue on Tuesday, when they host the Milwaukee Bucks.
"I think guys are embarrassed and should be embarrassed of how we're getting beat," Lue said after practice Monday at Cleveland Clinic Courts. "Teams that we're playing, having guys out, key guys out and still not being able to win. We all have to continue to keep searching and continue to keep fighting and continue to play hard."
In Sunday's 117-115 home loss to Atlanta, the Hawks had five rotation players sidelined because of injuries. On Wednesday, the Pacers were without one of their best, center Myles Turner (concussion). On Oct. 28, the Pelicans had five inactive, including point guard Rajon Rondo (core muscle injury). On Oct. 25, the Nets were missing point guard D'Angelo Russell (right knee sprain).
No matter. The more unknown players an opponent trots out as replacements, the less-motivated the Cavs seem to be.
In the past, the Cavs have used the first quarter to feel out their foe. If that's what they're doing, the strategy is burning them this season.
"Teams are not feeling us out. They're just attacking," Lue said. "[We] have to have an aggressive mindset both offensively and defensively. [We] can't just ease into games. [We] have to go into games attacking."
After Sunday's loss, Dwyane Wade and Channing Frye _ neither of whom are starters _ called on the Cavs to play harder. Wade said climbing out of a hole takes too much out of a veteran team with seven players over 30.
"I told the guys, 'Every time I've come in the game besides one game, it's been a 10-plus hole that we're trying to dig out of,' " Wade said. "We're confident in our second unit, but we don't want all that. Not every time."
Kevin Love took heed of Wade's comments.
"It was ugly," Love said Monday of the loss. "I don't know if it's focus or energy. I saw what Dwyane said. He's exactly right. It would be nice if we were able to get on the second unit one time for giving something up, but that hasn't been the case. ... We just can't keep putting ourselves in a situation like that."
James (32.0) ranks second in the league in ESPN's Player Efficiency Rating and Love (19.6) is tied for 61st, but the rest of the Cavs starting five might be below the Mendoza line if this were baseball. Going into Monday's action, Derrick Rose (13.7) stood 160th, Jae Crowder (9.58) 246th and J.R. Smith (2.75) 313th out of 315 players. In terms of team defensive efficiency, the Cavs rank last (111.7).
"It's not just the starters, it's all of us," Lue said. "We all have to get better and we have to put in the work to get out of this hole. Starters understand they have to play better. They know that. But it's all of us."
On Sunday, Frye mentioned the Cavs' penchant for allowing 30-point quarters. Opponents have posted 30 or more points in 18 of 40 thus far.
"Whether it's communication or us being all on the same page, our rotations are there, it's just we're giving up a little too much ground," Love said of that problem.
"Whether it's the point of attack, getting on the ball, whether it's me the big or Bron the big or Jae guarding the 4, just on the point of attack making the guy give the ball up and the next man being there. It's that level of trust, us playing together."
In his 20th season in the NBA as a player and coach, Lue said he's never been around a good team that had problems in terms of effort and energy, although disrespecting opponents has been a Cavs' trait for four years. He said the Cavs can't assume they're going to win their fourth consecutive Eastern Conference championship on talent alone.
"We're a different team, so I hope not," Lue said. "We have a lot of new faces, a lot of new pieces, a lot of guys out, so we can't have that approach. Every night we step out on the floor, we have to be ready to play."
