Cavs' Blatt says struggling Mozgov 'not at the same level physically'

For a team sitting comfortably atop its conference's standings, a season after falling just two wins shy of an NBA championship, there's been a lot of tension surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron James has called the team out on multiple occasions for lacking focus and hunger, while head coach David Blatt has questioned their toughness.

There are tangible explanations, even if James refuses to make excuses for himself or his teammates; All-NBA point guard Kyrie Irving hasn't yet suited up this season, nor has top defensive wing Iman Shumpert. But one of the most glaring issues is that their man in the middle simply hasn't looked the same.

Center Timofey Mozgov's arrival midway through last season helped changed the Cavs' fortunes in a big way. Through 15 games this season, he's looked like a shell.

"I think it's fairly clear that right now he's not at the same level physically that we're used to seeing him," Blatt told Chris Haynes of Cleveland.com. "And we got to get him there."

Mozgov complained during the preseason of lingering soreness in his right knee after early summer arthroscopic surgery, and suffered a shoulder strain in mid-November that kept him out just over a week.

But, like his teammates, he isn't making any excuses.

"I'm good," he told Haynes. "I just have to keep fighting."

The Cavs will have to hope that's the answer. Mozgov is averaging just seven points and 4.4 rebounds per game, while posting his lowest PER (11.9) and true shooting percentage (52.3) since his rookie season in 2010-2011. Last year, the Cavs were 10.9 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor. This year, they've been nine points worse.