3 reasons Cavs fans should be optimistic about the 2022-23 season

Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen of Team Cavs celebrate during the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen of Team Cavs celebrate during the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)
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Darius Garland (left) and Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Cavaliers had one of those breakout seasons that have their fan base ready for more. We can’t wait to have the Cavs take the court again. Watching the Cavaliers was so much fun this past season for fans, especially in the early part of the season because the team was competing and having fun at the same time. That team chemistry spilled over to the fan base and the future is bright.

As fans, it’s a new era of Cavalier basketball. I’ve written many articles in the past that the team needed to learn how to win and be successful out of the shadow of their previous King, a one LeBron James. What’s funny now is that right as the team is out of his shadow, others are trying to bring James back to Cleveland.

The Cavs are just fine now, and the problem with this franchise was not knowing how to win without James, and to me, he can stay as far away from this current team as possible. Maybe after this team wins an NBA championship in the next few years, they can bring aging James back for one last retirement party and series of games to close his career out in a Cavalier uniform.

Back to reality, this Cavaliers team has so much to accomplish and fans should be excited entering the 2022-23 season, for three reasons, especially.

Reason No. 1 to be optimistic: Cavs will be a playoff team

Before the team can contend for that NBA title, they first have to get to the playoffs. They were so close to getting there this past season. The team had a late-season collapse, likely due to inexperience, poor coaching, and an ability to close out games. They finished 44-38 and had several games at the end to sneak into the playoffs. They didn’t but I’m sure this is giving this young group of players motivation to get back and wreak havoc on their opponents.

There aren’t many reasons that the Cavaliers aren’t a lock at getting to the playoffs next season. There are injuries and those factors played a role in the outcome of this season’s team. The team will likely go out and bring in a couple of new veterans and that will help.

Bringing back a guard like Ricky Rubio would be a nice touch. He and Kevin Love had a great on-court chemistry that helped the team in the early part of the season, but it’s not clear exactly as to when Rubio could be back and in game shape from his torn ACL. In Love’s case, though, it also seemed like he was rejuvenated by the new team chemistry and played inspired much of the year.

Having another veteran guard Collin Sexton return to the team will be helpful to this team’s chances next season, provided he’s back, and it seems he very well could be. Sexton brings scoring and that’s something the team lacked in stretches with his absence because of his knee injury.

Sexton’s teammate Darius Garland took command of the team when he was out, on a positive note. That leadership from Garland will continue into next season and is another reason you have to like the team’s chances.

We’ll talk next about that other core of the team that is so important in the future.