Cleveland Cavaliers' loss against Philadelphia shows how tough their challenge is in next month: Chris Fedor

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On the final possession of the first quarter, Jeff Green and Larry Nance Jr. both had a look of confusion before bumping into each other while trying to set up a double screen for Jordan Clarkson around the 3-point line. By the time they corrected the set it was already too late. Clarkson dribbled into traffic with the clock winding down and lost the ball. The Cavs didn't even get a shot off.

That play is a microcosm of the challenge they're trying to overcome after blowing up half their roster at the trade deadline.

Even though the moves were necessary, trying to integrate four key rotation players while figuring out working lineups and other combinations in the middle of the season is not easy. Toss in a game every other night, little practice time and newbies learning fresh plays and it all adds up to the Cleveland Cavaliers losing three of five games since the All-Star break.

"Just right now offensively we're just playing in thought too much," Head coach Tyronn Lue admitted following the 108-97 loss. "It's not fair to those guys that, you know, maybe we should slow down offensively. Adding I think is just too much for the guys right now. Just trying to think and play, it's too hard. It's a fine balance.

"You have to add, you have to get better, get ready for the playoffs. But I think right now it just ain't fair. They're not playing with speed, not playing with pace. They're playing in thought so it makes it tough on the new guys to kind of play."

Rodney Hood, in the starting lineup for suspended JR Smith, scored 11 points on 5-of-14 from the field. George Hill followed up his best game of the season with a clunker, scoring just seven points on 3-of-10 from the field. He didn't play in the fourth quarter.

Clarkson had 10 points, but was ejected in the closing seconds after losing his cool when Dario Saric broke one of basketball's unwritten rules. Nance Jr., aside from colliding with Green on that play at the end of the first period, played well, scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds while battling with Philly All-Star Joel Embiid throughout the night.

The needed consistency without Kevin Love -- the team's second scoring option -- is clearly lacking.

Not having Love has put an enormous burden on LeBron James, who agreed with Lue's assessment about the balance of introducing new plays and keeping the quartet from getting overwhelmed.

"I think we don't want to be as predictable, especially in the postseason. I think right now there's so much that we're trying to fast track that it can become too much sometimes," James said. "It's tough on our new guys. It's seven games and we're trying to put a lot in and get a lot in for these guys. Maybe scale a little bit back and see if us just trying to play a little bit faster and play a little bit more open is a better thing for our team until we can more pinpoint where our offensive sets when we get more practice which is not much when we're playing every other day right now until April 6. Then the postseason starts after the 12th, probably the 14th or 15th."

In Thursday's loss, there were defensive breakdowns on switches that should get corrected with time. The halfcourt execution, clearly lacking against one of the league's best defenses, should improve as well.

Still, it's obvious the Cavs are most comfortable pushing the pace, when they can run and play with freedom. That's what happened in the 29-point first quarter. Otherwise, the players look puzzled, and the shots aren't dropping consistently enough to get by. The more they try to do, the slower they look.

The first two games against Boston and Oklahoma City, both impressive wins, showed Cleveland's potential with a fresh, young, quick and athletic roster. But the games since continue to shine a light on the obstacles facing them in the next month.

"I hope it doesn't take that long," Lue said. "I mean, it's going to take some time we know that, but just have to continue to keep working, keep showing film and I know we're playing every other day, the guys are putting in the work and they're trying. It's not like they're...can't say that word...but they're putting in the time and putting in the work."

The players -- and Lue -- admit these ups and downs were expected. Practices are being compared to training camp and they're longer than usual. The new guys are still searching for places to live, currently staying at the team hotel.

Early in January, the previous version of this team went through growing pains trying to integrate ball-dominant Isaiah Thomas. It never worked and the Cavs were forced to send him to Los Angeles in the first of three major trades.

In this case, they are trying to fit four of the nine most important pieces to the team's long-term success. Think about that adjustment.

Hill is camping out more near the 3-point line, helping spread the floor and waiting for catch-and-shoot opportunities. Nance Jr. spoke about the verbiage being different from Los Angeles. Lue was replaying stuff from the game with Hill and Clarkson, locker neighbors, following the loss. Hood is taking five fewer shots per game and doesn't have the ball in his hands nearly as much as he did in Utah, a place where he thrived as the ball handler in pick-and-rolls.

"Just thinking too much. Not being Rodney and being aggressive," Lue said of Hood's struggles Thursday. "He had some shots go in and out, but just need him to keep being aggressive. He's going to keep getting better. I understand that."

The amount of turnover experienced at the deadline is unprecedented. But James is up for the challenge. If there's anyone who can bring it together quickly it's him.

"You don't see what they did very often in the current of an NBA season," 76ers coach Brett Brown said. "They took a hard jab step right and pivoted out of what they were doing. They acquired some really bouncy young talent. I'm assuming from afar there's a new found juice to the program, locker room, whatever. They can be what they want to be. There's enough talent in that locker room to be really something special."

But is there enough time to reach that level? That answer is still to come. It's only been seven games.

At the end of March, Lue and his staff will deal with another wrinkle: Love's return. It should be smoother. He doesn't have to learn new sets or terminology. He just has to jell with teammates again. But his spot in the starting lineup will likely bump Cedi Osman from the rotation completely. It will also change a few roles, as Love will be expected to be more of an offensive focal point.

That's not for a few more weeks. In the meantime, Lue has to find the right balance. He hasn't yet. Nor has he figured out his rotations.

In the loss against the Sixers, Lue played both Clarkson and Nance from the end of the third quarter through the fourth (at least, until Clarkson get ejected). That's a lot to ask, especially for guys learning on the fly. Hood played 21 of the final 24 minutes. Kyle Korver, who turns 37 years old in two weeks, played the final 16 minutes.

Lue doesn't regret that minute allocation. He said he feels comfortable riding those players. But James felt fatigue set in.

"Looked like we had some heavy legs tonight," he said.

The Cavs understand their path isn't one champions usually travel. But to borrow from Thursday's opponent, they are simply trusting the process.

"We're putting in a lot of stuff right now," Clarkson said. "The first couple of games, we was real simple and stuff. But we still gotta learn everything. We're trying to log it all in right now. We know it's coming, it's just a process for us. Just gotta keep communicating."

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