3 ways the Cleveland Cavaliers can become real playoff contenders this season

The Cleveland Cavaliers are currently the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference after losing close battles against the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers did beat the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, but are still fifth in the East.

Sure, Donovan Mitchell didn’t play in those games, but Cavs fans can’t really use that as an excuse for that Warriors loss. Injuries happen and they always will. Using injuries as a crutch is foolish, as every team will face injuries at some point.

However, there are some things that the Cavs need to work on to be able to succeed in the playoffs. Obviously, a championship would be phenomenal, but I am not sure if it’s possible considering how the roster is constructed. This team is too top-heavy, as the scoring outside of the top four players isn’t all that great.

Anyway, the Cavaliers are still a great team, nonetheless. They should still make the playoffs, considering how talented their roster is. The chemistry on the roster seems to be unbreakable, and the team is very skilled on offense and defense, as well.

But like mentioned before, there are things the Cavs should work on and try to fix. Every team always has its weaknesses, and Cleveland is no different. The trade deadline isn’t too far from now, so we’ll see if anything happens on the trade front, if the Cavs do make a move.

Before I get into how the Cavs can increase their title odds, let’s look at what the team is good at. The Cavs do have the 2nd-best defensive rating, only behind the Memphis Grizzlies. Their field goal percentage is 8th in the league, hitting 48.2% of their field goals in total this season. Other than that, the Cavs aren’t top 10 in any real major stats in the league. They’re around average or below average for points, assists, steals, blocks, and 3-point percentage. So other than defense, the Cavs aren’t really a super amazing team.

So what do the Cavs really need on the roster? Well, it’s hard to say. My opinion can be different than other peoples’ opinions, and that’s okay. There is no clear-cut and easy way to get the Cavs to become a powerhouse team in the NBA, so the path to the championship isn’t as easy as Cavs fans would hope. Anyway, without further ado, here are three ways that the Cavs could increase their title odds.