:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/26919149/befb9l4ceaapdpe.0.jpg)
The Cavaliers lost to Portland Wednesday night. Not really a surprise, given that the Cavs are now 3- (approximately) 342435 on the road this season.
What is surprising is what happened after the game. Some of the Cavaliers stayed on the floor to practice after the game, which would seem odd given that it was the second night of a back-to-back and that NO ONE EVER PRACTICES ON THE ROAD TEAM'S FLOOR AFTER A GAME.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>Never seen guys practice postgame before. After a B2B. Pretty wild. <a href="http://t.co/aSmIczpR87">pic.twitter.com/aSmIczpR87</a></p>— Sarah Hecht (@sarahhechtNBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/sarahhechtNBA/statuses/423692359470051328">January 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p>45 mins after game is over, CJ, Gee, Earl and Jack are out on floor still working out <a href="http://t.co/I5nqKWq7vr">pic.twitter.com/I5nqKWq7vr</a></p>— Jason Lloyd (@JasonLloydABJ) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonLloydABJ/statuses/423698626343206912">January 16, 2014</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
So why would the Cavaliers do this? My guess is twofold. Mike Brown may have just wanted to work on something small, but wanted to give his guys tomorrow off given that they just played a back-to-back. The Blazers went on a 12-0 run to end the game, so there was plenty of stuff to point out and work on. Plus, the team has a game on Friday so there really wasn't going to be time to work on it before then.
My other guess is that this could be a players' decision. I'm sure that this team is getting sick of losing, so maybe the goal here is to change the culture of the team by simply working as hard as they can to improve. Maybe even Luol Deng called it, and his "veteran leadership" will help bring the Cavaliers to the promised land of wins. It does look like mostly the vets and Matthew Dellavedova out there in the two pictures.
Okay, so that second one is probably a little bit optimistic. But hey, I'm sure that they want to improve, and I'm sure Mike Brown had no problem going back out there and helping his guys. Either way, it's nice to see someone on the team care.
