An Accomplished Cavs Off-Season, But Questions Remain
The Cleveland Cavaliers had, arguably, a successful season in the 2023/2024 campaign. Sure, they didn’t make the NBA Finals, let alone the Eastern Conference Finals, but they did secure a home playoff series, win it, and then gave the eventual champion Boston Celtics their hardest fight in the East. So going into this offseason, there weren’t many priorities, but the ones that remained loomed large.
Priority #1 - Find a new voice for the organization. Check. The Cavs inked 57-year old Kenny Atkinson, who is known for his player development and innovative offense, to a 5-year contract. Priority #2 - Extend your franchise player. Check. Extending Donovan Mitchell was one of the most important days in franchise history. Locking up Mitchell to two more years of team control wasn’t just a win for Cleveland, but frankly all small market teams. Priority #3 - Extend your potential DPOY franchise cornerstone. Check. Inking Evan Mobley to a 5-year extension was yet another example this off-season of the Cavs taking care of business.
Even the most critical of fans would admit the Cavs have had a successful off-season. It was an “A” as soon as Mitchell agreed to extend, with Mobley being the cherry on top. But despite the off-season wins, legitimate questions surround the Cavs and their ability to be a true contender in the East.
Question 1: We’ve seen it time and time again. It gets more physical in April, defenses get away with more. The NBA is a wing-dominated league and there are few examples of smaller backcourts exceeding in the playoffs. Can the Cavs withstand being undersized 1-3 and expect to contend?
Question 2: Perhaps it’s the front office’s belief in this roster. Perhaps it’s the market dictating the core-4 stay together for now. There’s no denying the Cavs’ four best players have overlapping attributes. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley cause space constraints offensively. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell both need the ball in their hands to maximize their talents. Neither have shown a strong willingness to be the off-ball movement shooter the other one needs at times. How much can coaching and a new offensive philosophy impact overlapping skills sets?
Question 3: When it came to the playoffs, the Cavs struggled to find answers off the bench. Isaac Okoro saw his shooting numbers and minutes reduced (again). Dean Wade struggled to stay on the floor (again). Georges Niang was benched due to his horrific shooting and getting isolated defensively. Caris LeVert shot 18% from three. With limited cap options and a disappointing finish to the year, which members of the bench can the Cavs count on to compliment the core-4?
Question 4: Rumors have flown around this off-season. Does Darius Garland and his representation want to be in Cleveland if he’s the #2 or #3 offensive option?
Question 5: The 76ers signed Paul George. The Magic signed KCP. The best team in the East, the Celtics, brought everyone back. The Bucks netted some under-the-radar veteran minimum signings, nabbing Delon Wright and Gary Trent Jr. How much better has the rest of the East gotten and where does that leave the Cavs?
There’s no denying it has been a successful off-season to date for the Cavs. That was solidified once Mitchell extended. And to be fair, they aren’t done yet. In a moment’s notice we could get news on Isaac Okoro or a shake-up of the existing roster. But with where they stand today, major questions remain and they cannot be answered until next season.