The Cavaliers held a players only meeting earlier this week, after losing by 29 points to the Timberwolves which put them at just 3-7 through the team’s first 10 games.
There were reports that the meeting turned contentious, and that players confronted one another about how things were playing out -- none of which is a great sign less than three weeks into the regular season.
It was rumored that the play of Dion Waiters was one of the meeting’s issues, but others denied that was the case. Whether there’s something going on internally where Waiters is concerned or there isn’t, he hasn’t been with the team since Wednesday’s loss, and an illness with little details is what’s being blamed for his absence.
From Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:The meeting was intense – the Cavs played terrible and lost by 29 points – but two players who were in the room both privately said some of the speculation has been overblown and it wasn’t combative, nor was Dion Waiters a target of the meeting. The players weren’t very happy, but no specific player was singled out. ...
As for Waiters and this illness, Mike Brown said he has been to the doctor twice and has a prescription. I’ve heard whispers Waiters knew he was going to get demoted to the second team. Did he know that and make up this illness? Is he really sick? The only one who really knows the answer to that is Waiters.
No one on the team has really seen or heard from Waiters since Wednesday’s game. He didn’t attend Friday’s shootaround because of this illness and didn’t make the trip to Washington for tonight’s game. No one I talked to really knows how sick Waiters is or what all this is about.
All of this is very interesting, and the truth may come out at some point. Or maybe it won’t. But the fact that this is a thing is on head coach Mike Brown, especially this early in the season. He should be communicating exactly what the issue is with Waiters if something legitimate is keeping him away so there will be no locker room uncertainty.
Kyrie Irving apparently isn’t willing to wait to find out -- he took matters into his own hands on Saturday, scoring 41 points in leading his team to a much-needed overtime victory over the Wizards.
