When Cleveland Cavaliers get dramatic, they really get dramatic. The team is fresh off their run with Andrew Bynum that saw the center get suspended for poor conduct and then traded just months after signing a large contract in free agency. The team is having issues with the perception of Kyrie Irving and now they are having conduct issues with Dion Waiters.
The Cavaliers lost by 44 points on Sunday to the Sacramento Kings. There was certainly plenty of blame to go around for what exactly when wrong in the game. However, Waiters is getting the most heat for his poor body language on the court during tough stretches, something his teammates are tired of.
Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal reports that players are starting to grumble over Waiters' behavior and are tired of coaches letting him get away with him. "This isn't to pile on Waiters or put all the blame on him, but his behavior was the most evident tonight and the whispers from other players growing tired of his act seem to be growing louder. Again, it's more of a frustration because overall he's not a bad guy. It would be different if he was causing major strife within the locker room. He's not. He's just drawing a lot of eye rolls."
Waiters is considered to be a top young talent and one that could help build a core of players for the Cavaliers, but the team appears to be tired of poor conduct and if it keeps up, Waiters might see himself on the bench or traded. Recently acquired Luol Deng says the team needs to change their overall mindset if they are going to start scoring and winning.
"A lot of guys in this locker room can score," Deng said. "We should focus every night on our defense knowing it might not be me tonight, it might not be Kyrie, it might be Jack, it might be Dion. There's so many guys who can score and that's the way we have to switch our mindset, not thinking we're going to outscore teams, but actually having the mindset we're going to stop teams."
Waiters has been the subject of a few trade rumors. There is still plenty of time before the deadline if the Cavaliers intend on making a move. Cleveland has not been shy about their goal of making the playoffs this season. That is why the team made a move to acquire Deng. If they feel Waiters is going to hurt that, expect a deal to come.
The Philadelphia 76ers could easily be an option as the team is looking to trade both Thaddeus Young and Evan Turner. Several teams would like to get ahold of the young star. This kind of drama could see Waiters getting the Bynum treatment.
