Are The Cavaliers "Tougher?" The Answer Is Still Unsettlingly Unclear

Since losing to the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs last year, the Cavaliers have been on a mission to prove they are a tougher team, but their latest loss to New York reopened old wounds as doubts still remain with about a month left in the regular season.

Can toughness be developed? Or is it something innate about someone that can't be changed?

That's the question the Cleveland Cavaliers are hoping to answer between now and the start of the playoffs next month. Recent results following the NBA's All-Star break paint a pretty grim picture though.

Cleveland is 3-4 during that stretch, including 1-2 in the last three. Monday night was supposed to be a barometer game. A chance to prove that the Knicks weren't some boogieman hiding in the bowles of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

A 107-98 loss, where both teams were missing a number of key players felt as demoralizing as it gets. Normally Donovan Mitchell being out with an injury would grant the Cavs a bit of a pass in a losing effort. Except the Knicks were down three themselves to open up the game, before losing All-Star guard Jalen Brunson less than a minute in. It didn't matter.

Somewhere in the midst of six-foot-four-inch guard racking up a 13-point, 10-assist, 19-rebound triple-double, it became evident that New York simply owns the Cavaliers right now. It may be a matchup thing. It may be a mental thing. Whatever it is, Cleveland – nearly a year removed from being embarrassed by the same team in the opening round of the playoffs – seems to have no answers. When these two teams get together, the Knicks make every big shot. They outhustle the Cavs for every lose ball. Bully their two seven footers, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen for rebounds and force hesitant and timid shots.

Not so long ago this same Cavs team – with a healthy Mitchell – was cruising through the rest of the league to the beat of an impressive 18-2 record in the 20 games prior to the All-Star break. The vibes around the team felt totally different. Their playing style, more dynamic.

Cleveland looked like a team that had learned from its shortcomings and was poised not to repeat them.

Navigating Cavs Rotations Remains J.B. Bickerstaff's Biggest Test, As Playoffs Loom

A challenging March was always going to be be the true test of their mettle though. The Knicks game marked the start of an upcoming slate that features matchups with numerous playoff teams across the Eastern and Western conferences. It continues Tuesday with home showdown with the East leading Boston Celtics.

Only the Cavaliers can change the narratives being spun about their their toughness...or lack thereof. But Monday's loss served as a sobering reminder that even with "Heat Culture" product, Max Strus added to the mix, "toughness" just may not be in their DNA. The bigger fear though, is that it's not something that can be acquired with more time or experience either. And if that's the case, this team may never see beyond the first round, in its current iteration.