A 52-10 record is as good of an indicator that the Cleveland Cavaliers are true title favorites as any; however, they need to build toward their best basketball in the playoffs rather than fall short with exhaustion in the final stretch.
Since adding Donovan Mitchell in 2022, the Cavaliers have earned a playoff berth with homecourt advantage in round one. This year, they are set to hold the best record in the Eastern Conference with three All-Stars at the helm. The Cavs have battled neck-and-neck with the league's premier squads, overcoming the reigning champions Boston Celtics, splitting the four games.
Cleveland dismantled the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks this season. They are putting on some of the best performances fans have ever seen out of the wine and gold. Lately, though, an unfortunately familiar vice has come back to haunt the Cavaliers in the final games.
The Cavaliers need to play with a killer instinct again
One major difference between this year's Cavaliers and the previous seasons has been their instant energy. From tip off, the Cavs have been dynamic, outscoring opponents in bunches and suffocating their rival's offense with stellar defensive impact.
During their current 12-game win streak, though, Cleveland is falling victim to a frustratingly bad habit. In each of their last four wins, the Cavs have had to surmount a significant comeback, including a 25-3 deficit to the Celtics.
In the last four games, the Cavs have averaged just 27.5 points while shooting 40.4 percent from the field during the first quarter. With a 105.8 offensive rating and 123.5 defensive rating, the Cavs' recent net rating in the opening period is an abysmal -17.8, the fifth worst in the Association. Over the entire season, the Cavaliers' first-quarter net rating is second best at a positive 15.8. This dramatic shift is a concerning indicator, but it is different than last year.
Last season, the Cavs stumbled into the playoffs. Donovan Mitchell was sick and injured, Jarrett Allen couldn't stay healthy and Darius Garland was in the midst of a season from hell with a broken jaw that forced him to eat out of a straw for over a month. The final month of basketball decimated the Cavs. After playing in Paris earlier that season, Cleveland's schedule was compacted to fit in the rest of their games, something the team called the "Paris Tax" by season's end.
This year, though, the Cavaliers' lethargic start is likely due to a sense of disinterest. Winning changes little now, and Cleveland is clearly not being punished for the lazy open. They have won all four of these games, posting a net rating of +42.7 in the fourth quarter alone. When the Cavaliers can flip a switch instantaneously and swing their net rating for a quarter by 60.5 points, there's little incentive to change - for now.
As the old adage goes, practice like you play. The Cavaliers clinched a playoff berth with their 51st win, a feat that took just 61 games to reach. Going forward, every game only helps solidify homecourt advantage against the Oklahoma City Thunder if they collide in the Finals. But, Cleveland's primary X-Factor in staying healthy for the postseason has been a deliberate effort to manage the stars' minutes. Nobody on the Cavs' roster averages 32 or more minutes per game.
Dragging out a playoff series to six or seven games when the Cavaliers have every tool at their disposal to finish in four or five could leave them desperately needing rest by the Conference Finals. Cleveland has shown they are better than anyone put in front of them when they want to be, but they need to want it. Currently, they look satisfied sometimes. That needs to change. Building early leads is what gave coach Kenny Atkinson the freedom to rest his players more. That has gone away as the Cavs allowed the Chicago Bulls to force them into a late-game panic to reach an overtime victory.
Atkinson has acknowledged the problem and will address it. He is a positive but harsh coach, willingly criticizing the team's lackluster effort in the opening minutes. It is hard to ignore, but it is also embarrassing to admit. Atkinson chose the latter. Now, it is up to the other members of the Cleveland Cavaliers to follow through and reignite the fire that lit their engines to start the 82-game season ahead of the grueling 16-game season ahead.