The Cleveland Cavaliers came into the game on Saturday, February 11 already shorthanded. Without three regular starters, the Cavaliers fell to the Philadelphia 76ers by the score of 99-84.

Rookie point guard Kyrie Irving, guard-forward Anthony Parker, and center Anderson Varejao were all inactive for the game that had coach Scott playing the likes of Ben Uzoh for a short time during the game.

When it came to the game itself the Cavaliers’ performance itself was flat. As a team they shot just .369 from the field and were an abysmal 3-14 from three point range.

Antawn Jamison led the scoring for Cleveland with 20 points on the night paired with eight rebounds. Ramon Session added 19 points with eight assists and Alonzo Gee led the reserves with 17 points and six rebounds off the bench.

Jrue Holiday led the 76ers with 20 points, four rebounds, and fiver rebounds while their bench came up big with a 19-point performance from Louis Williams and a 16-point contribution from Thaddeus Young.

With the loss the Cavaliers fall to 10-16 on the year, having lost two straight. Despite their record, the still hold the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference and are still very much in the race for the playoffs.

The very difficult question to ask is where would we like to see the Cavaliers at the end of the season? On one hand I would love to see Cleveland back in the playoffs fighting for a shot at the NBA Finals. On the other hand, another lottery pick may be what the team needs to elevate them to the next level.

I suppose this is what it feels like to be a true “rebuilding” team unlike what some of the other Cleveland sports teams are going through. There is a bright side to both alternatives and a downside as well.

The Cavaliers will have a few days of rest before their conference rival Indiana Pacers come to town on Wednesday, February 15.

More Cleveland Cavaliers Commentary from this Contributor:

Cleveland Cavaliers fall to Milwaukee Bucks in overtime 113-112: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers defeat Clippers with Irving out: A fan’s reaction

Miami Heat drop Cleveland Cavaliers 107-91: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers waive rookie Mychel Thompson: A fan’s reaction

Cleveland Cavaliers down Dallas Mavericks 91-88: A fan’s reaction

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is an avid Cleveland Cavaliers fan and a Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.