The Cleveland Cavaliers are in free fall. Since Christmas, the Cavaliers have lost 10 of 14 games. Cleveland accumulated most of those losses with LeBron James sitting out, but even with James on the court, the Cavs need help. Cleveland is 3-3 with James and 1-7 without him since Christmas. The supporting cast at Cleveland is clearly not living up to its preseason hype.

This is not how the season was supposed to go for James. “The Return of the King” as it was put in the preseason, was supposed to result in an NBA title. The midway point of the season has arrived, and Cleveland looks more like a group of individuals than a team at this point. Any team with James on it is going to have a chance in the playoffs, but as last year’s finals proved, an individual can only have so much success against a good team.

The Cavs have the potential to live up to their preseason billing as one of the most talented teams in the league. As the home stretch approaches, Cleveland’s postseason success will be determined by team chemistry more than anything else. The Cavaliers do not look like a team who can weather a rough start in a playoff series.

Playing from behind requires composure and team spirit that the Cavs seem to lack. Players are apparently unhappy being on the team, and ESPN recently had a field day with James pushing the coach away from a referee. These are not the headlines Cleveland’s fans want to read. If the Cavs cannot find a way to get the team’s off-the-court issues worked out, then an early exit might await the Cavs in the postseason.

Time is running out. Cleveland’s management set the team up to win titles within a very narrow window. The level of talent currently in Cleveland may not stay together long, especially if the team continues to underachieve. Cleveland has got to capitalize on the current situation before it’s gone. James is only getting older and his eventual retirement is only getting closer with every passing day.