Were the Cavaliers Ticked Off They Were Not Invited to Play in the Bubble?

The Cleveland Cavaliers were dead last in the Eastern Conference at the point that the league shut down due to the national pandemic.

While the team sat at 19-46, the team had been playing better prior to the decision to shut down the season.

Despite playing better, the team was not one the NBA franchises that was invited to play in the NBA’s bubble that could have led to a postseason spot.

According to Cleveland.com’s Cavalier writer Chris Fedor, the Cavs were not very happy about not being included in the mix to play in the bubble, as the team was looking forward to being able to use the experience of playing in the bubble to help out in the future.

Here’s what Fedor had to say regarding the Cavs being ticked off about the NBA’s decision to not have them in the mix:

There’s no substitute for experience.

That was one of LeBron James’ most uttered phrases during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

James is gone, in Los Angeles (well, technically a bubble in Disney) alongside Anthony Davis, leading the Lakers to their first regular season Western Conference crown since 2000. But his words still echo.

They’re exactly why members of the Cavaliers were livid when learning they would be excluded from the NBA’s restart. And why general manager Koby Altman’s voice has been one of the loudest in pushing for a second bubble, mandatory summer minicamp or OTAs. Something, anything to keep his young, rebuilding team from going eight or nine months without meaningful action.

From the very beginning, the Cavs believed they would be at a significant competitive disadvantage. Turns out, those fears were well-founded.

Teams in the bubble, including the Phoenix Suns, Washington Wizards, New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings — all of which are on similar developmental timelines as the Cavs — are getting an extra month of practice to go with three scrimmages and eight seeding games in a feisty, competitive environment against some of the league’s best.

It’s a valid point that even those teams that are not going to get very far playing in the current system are getting the benefit of playing together and will get the experience of playing in more live NBA games.

The Cavs could really use that, but the NBA felt otherwise.

Let’s see how it turns out, but for now the Cavs are warranted for their unhappiness in the situation that they are on the outside looking in when it comes to the NBA laying down the law.