Tuesday night was as down as I've been after a Cleveland sports loss in a long time. Perhaps since Game 7 of the '16 World Series.
Why?
Look, I know the Cavaliers are only down 0-2 to the Boston Celtics in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals as the series shifts to the Q for Games 3 and 4. They can absolutely hold serve and tie this baby up. In fact, I expect that they will do just that.
So why is my dauber down?
Because I can start to see the end of the road for the 2017-18 season. And it's a road that may lead to massive changes for the franchise that was responsible for Cleveland's only world championship since 1964.
It actually started before the Cavs and Celtics even tipped off Game 2. Jim Donovan and I watched the NBA's Draft Lottery together as the higher power of ping pong balls could only muster chalk for the Wine and Gold this time around. The Cavs, who had banked on having a top 3 pick as part of the Kyrie Irving trade, will have to settle for the 8th overall pick in next month's draft.
Here's the problem: The Irving trade is looking like an absolute disaster for Dan Gilbert and company. And it was the one thing that they could not afford to screw up last summer.
For a guy who was a cornerstone player of your franchise, the Cavs got back Isaiah Thomas, who was a shell of his former self; Jae Crowder, who looked like he never wanted to be here in the first place; Ante Zizic; and the 8th pick in the draft. The Cavs turned Thomas and Crowder into Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., and Jordan Clarkson, none of whom have made any significant contributions in this postseason.
Jimmy and I talked about the aftermath of the lottery last night:
So after the reality of the lottery, we all watched as the Celtics completely outplayed the Cavs in the 2nd half to run away with Game 2. Boston's kiddie corps of Terry Rozier, Jayson Tatum, and Jaylen Brown are making the Cavs look old and slow.
Brown and Rozier scored a combined 41 points. The Cavs' starting backcourt of George Hill and J.R. Smith had 3. Celtic role players like Marcus Smart, Marcus Morris, and Aron Baynes are out-hustling anyone that Ty Lue puts into the game.
Of course, things can change once the Cavs enjoy some home cooking.
But what if we're near the end of the season? What if we have to start thinking about the future sooner than we thought? And by the future, I mean, of course, what will LeBron James decide to do this offseason?
Our friend Jason Lloyd of The Athletic started down this road in his 'Final Thoughts' after the Game 2 loss.
Maybe this second act of LeBron James as a Cleveland Cavalier is going to end with just one championship and a lot of 'what ifs.'
I think Lloyd is right when he writes that the Cavaliers are "a franchise that looks exhausted, mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s the drain of attempting four consecutive Finals runs. It’s the drain of the spotlight of being around LeBron and all the attention he brings."
When the Cavs traded for Hood, Hill, Nance, and Clarkson, I had high hopes that they would form a core of role players that would team with James and Kevin Love to, at the very least, give the Cavs time to find a new 'Big 3' caliber player. Instead, Hill has been injury-prone, and the other three just do not look like prime time players. At least not now. And if LeBron doesn't believe that the pieces are in place for the Cavs to be a contender in the future, you have to believe that will expedite his departure from Northeast Ohio.
Maybe the Cavs will find a way to claw back into this series and win their fourth straight Eastern Conference title. It could happen. James is still here and still playing at an MVP level.
But I can see the future. And sadly, my shades will not be worn.
Watch the Donovan Live Postgame Show in the player above