When LeBron James left Cleveland for Los Angeles, some wondered if he made the decision because he realized he couldn't beat the Warriors with that Cavs team.
So the narrative began: The Warriors broke up the Cavs team that had won the Eastern Conference four straight years.
Cavs big man Tristan Thompson was asked about that by Chris Haynes on the Posted Up podcast and didn't agree ... sort of.
"No," Thompson hold Haynes. "I think…the NBA changes every four years, by the way. Every four years, it's like a new team rises and teams start to drop."
So, Thompson is equating the demise of the Cavs with the regular ebb and flow of the league.
Then Thompson gave the Warriors a little credit.
"The Warriors did a good job taking us down and beating us," Thompson said. "But at the same time, when you lose in the Finals, you just can't keep coming back with the same thing, you've got to change stuff up. And for us, we went different directions and guys went different place and did what was best for themselves, which is fine with me."
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In addition to losing LeBron last summer, the Cavs fired head coach Ty Lue after an 0-6 start to this season. At the end of November, Kyle Korver was traded to Utah. In early December, George Hill was sent to Milwaukee as part of a three-team trade with Washington. And J.R. Smith has been away from the team since mid-November. Two summers ago, Kyrie Irving forced a trade to Boston.
"Everyone's happy, though," Thompson told Haynes. "Everyone's happy. All my guys are happy. Talked to Kyrie, he's happy in Boston, he's playing great. Bron is happy in LA, he's doing great. Kev is here with me still. We're chillin'."
The Cavs enter Friday's game against Utah with the worst record in the East at 8-30.
The Warriors may not have directly led to the downfall of the Cavs, but they certainly played a part.
