Lue: 'No doubt' Cavs will make playoffs

Going from talk of winning the championship to questions about making the playoffs is quite the narrative change for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

But since losing to the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day, Cleveland's record has taken a major hit. Having lost 12 of their last 18 games, the 30-21 Cavaliers now sit closer to the Eastern Conference's ninth spot than the top-ranked Boston Celtics. Still, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue says he isn't the least bit worried about missing the postseason.

"I mean we're still going to make the playoffs," Lue said, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. "There's no doubt about that. We're still confident in that for sure."

The questions about Cleveland's playoff chances are largely tied to the team's faltering defense, as its 111.0 defensive rating over the past 18 games is third worst in the league. Star forward Kevin Love is also expected to miss eight weeks with a broken hand, while locker room issues have played out in the media.

"We prepare, we'll be professional and we go out and play," Lue added. "At the end of the day as bad as it's looked of late, we're still in a good position where we can play some good basketball going into the (All-Star) break and we want to try to control that."