Jim Ingraham: Can Cavaliers rise after hitting rock bottom?

Who do the Cavs think they are, the Browns? No, seriously. If the Cavs are going to become the Browns, you can drop me off at the next fire hydrant. Geez! Wait, it gets worse. Friday night, the Cavs, under the cover of darkness, will be back in action, or at least alleged action, six days after the Fighting Atkinsons lost at home — at home, mind you! — to, get this: the Golden State Warriors' junior varsity. Not the varsity. The junior varsity. Hey, don't ask me. I just work here. That's right kids, in case you missed it, last Saturday the Cavs — NBA champions a mere nine years ago — lost at home to the Golden State Warriors' junior varsity. The score was 99-94, and it wasn't that close. For those of you who missed the game, either live, or on TV, congratulations. LeBron wasn't around to chase down a game-winning blocked shot for the ages, Draymond Green didn't go rogue and Steph Curry didn't play at all. Instead, there were rumors he took his fishing pole and went down to the lake hoping to land a few walleye. Nevertheless, despite a cast of nobodies, the Warriors still managed to win a game Steve Kerr's team had no business winning, a game the Cavs had no business losing. Here was the Warriors' starting lineup for the Cavs' most humiliating loss of the season: Quinten Post, Pat Spenceer, Buddy Hield, Johnathan Kuminga and Will Richard. Also earning letters that night were four anonymous Warriors: Gui Santos, Moses Moody, Brandon Podziemski and, of course, Trace Jackson-Davis. The Cavs' starting five: Mitchell, Mobley, Hunter, Garland and Jaylon Tyson. The final score was Golden State 99, Cleveland 94. If you have been looking for the Cavs' most "we're not really into this thing right now" display of the year (so far), it was that night, Saturday night, Dec. 6. The night Steve Kerr's team wanted to play, and did, vs. the night Kenny Atkinson's team didn't feel like playing, and didn't. Let's circle our calendars and see how much longer before the Cavs circle their wagons. That humiliating rollover of Kenny's Kids, at the hands of the Warriors JVs last weekend still has a rancid odor to it. It was not one of the Cavs' finest moments. Last season's Cavs season was one endlessly giddy joy ride, but this year, neither the scenery, nor the want-to has been as consistently entertaining as it was a year ago. For whatever reason, Kenny's Kids aren't nearly as efficient, as electric, nor as breathtaking as they were a year ago. A big reason for that is the endless run of injuries that have halted any sort of momentum, which the team seemed to summon upon demand whenever necessary last season. This season: not so much. The team's starters aren't consistently producing the way they did last year, when, for a large part of the season, they seemed to be able to pull rabbits out of their hats, and magic out of thin air, whenever needed. They have rarely been able to play at full strength this season, unlike last season, when whatever was needed always seemed to be available. It's a funny game, basketball. Even the best teams with the best talent sometimes stagger, trip and fall. Last week's uncomfortable spanking at the hands of the Warriors did nothing to suggest that everything will work itself out, or that there is nothing wrong with this Cavs team that this Cavs team can't fix. In the meantime, the Cavs wait, they watch and they hope that Donovan Mitchell can play Superman yet again, game after game, and, especially, playoff game after playoff game. Indeed, the Cavs have some making up to do from last season's postseason train wreck. This season is supposed to be the season that makes up for last season. But getting boat raced by the Warriors' JVs last week did nothing to enhance the enhancing that too often seems to be missing with this team. Especially when push comes to shove, or Mitchell needs to take a blow late in the fourth quarter. There is only one Mitchell, one Superman, in the wine and gold (does this team even wear wine and gold anymore?) We all saw in last year's playoffs that even Superman needs a timeout now and then. When that happens, do the Cavs have the ammunition to hold the fort for three or four minutes? For now, this team in this season doesn't seem to have the kind of engine last year's team had. But that's why they play the games. That's why Mitchell was brought here in the first place. In reality, of course, it seems as though the steamroller that is the Oklahoma City Thunder still sits at the top of the mountain. The Cavs still have work to do. On the plus side, they don't have to face the Warriors' JVs anymore. Contact Jim Ingraham at (440) 329-7135 or jingraham4@gmail.com.