Cavaliers vs. Heat: Will Cleveland's Season Take Similar Turn Against Miami?

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Emotions were riding high in Quicken Loans Arena on December 2nd, with the return of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers out to prove that their team wasn’t built on a single player.

The Cavs went into the 18th game of the season with a 7-10 record, losing to the Boston Celtics by 19 in their previous outing. The Cavs lost to the Miami Heat on that painfully unforgettable night in Cleveland, kicking off a streak of 35 losses in their next 36 games.

The nameplates and numbers for the Cavs have changed, but the results leading into another matchup with the Heat are shockingly similar. The Cavs will make the trip to Miami for their 16th game of the season with a record of 6-9. The Cavs go into the game having lost to the Atlanta Hawks by 27 and the Chicago Bulls by 39.

Could a similar defeat to the Heat cascade the Cavs into another colossal slide?

Do the Cavs Have a Better Team This Season?

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How could the Cavaliers be anywhere as bad as they were in 2010-11 after adding Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson? Problem is that the Cavs’ results point to being even worse.

The Cavs are without a quality win in 2012, having beaten the Detroit Pistons (4-13), New Jersey Nets (5-12), Charlotte Bobcats (3-14) twice, Minnesota Timberwolves (7-9) and Phoenix Suns (6-9). Not one of those teams made the playoffs last year, and not one of the sub-.500 teams are destined for June this year.

The Cavs surprised the NBA to start the 2010 season, beating the Boston Celtics, giving fans hope that the entire team wasn’t based on LeBron James. The Celtics weren’t the only quality win for the Cavs, as they beat the Philadelphia 76ers (41-41) twice, Washington Wizards (23-59), Nets (24-58), Milwaukee Bucks (35-47) and Memphis Grizzlies (46-36) before playing Miami. The Celtics, 76ers and Grizzlies all went on to play in the 2011 NBA playoffs.

What to Watch for Against Heat

The most disappointing aspect of last year’s Cavs was how they laid down and took it from the Heat. The 118-90 loss was characterized by Cleveland’s open invitation to drive the lane and posterize Cavalier big men weary of putting a hard foul on their “friend."

That “friend” went on to score 38 points, certainly not strengthening any bond between players and fans, let alone management who went on to cut ties with Mo Williams, J.J. Hickson and Jamario Moon.

Will the Cavaliers stand up for themselves and play with fire and intensity this time around against the Heat?

Reasons for Optimism

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The Cavaliers’ nucleus of players was severely battered last year by trades and injuries, but a new year and revamped roster gives fans optimism for a different season.

After missing 51 games in 2010-11, Anderson Varejao is having a career year for the Cavs, averaging 9.7 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. As long as Varejao can stay healthy, the Cavs will benefit from having the wild thing back in the middle of the floor.

Kyrie Irving has been the Cavaliers’ shining star this season, solidifying the point guard position that went under numerous changes in the past season. Kyrie leads all rookies in points and assists, and not a peep can be heard from Derrick Williams supporters who once claimed the Cavs had made the wrong selection in the draft.

The Cavaliers' other draft pick, Tristan Thompson, is being brought along slowly, but his results are slightly better than assumed on first glance. On a per-game basis, Thompson is averaging 8.1 points and 5.1 rebounds in only 18.3 minutes a game. Referencing his per-36-minute averages, Thompson is markedly better at 16 points and 9.9 rebounds. That’s better than Williams and Enes Kanter (points only).

The Cavs are still in the process of rebuilding, but expectations are higher and a losing streak rivaling last year’s should not be tolerated. Barring any trades or injuries, the Cavs have no excuse for not improving. Tuesday night’s result against one of the NBA’s best might not be as satisfying as a “Mavaliers” NBA Finals victory or Chris Bosh’s tears, but the focus is starting to return to the players in Cavaliers uniforms, and that’s where it belongs. 

Ryan is the Chief Sports Fan at Please Bench Me, a Chicago startup to help sports fans find the best place to watch sports. You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/spony for rumblings on Cleveland sports, Chicago bars and random tech jargon.