The Cleveland Cavaliers have had one of their best seasons in recent memory. They boast a top five offense and defense and lead the league in net rating. They ended their five-year postseason drought.
Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has turned into a dungeon of terror for opposing teams, as the Cavs boast a sparkling 31-9 record at home. Donovan Mitchell has been every bit of the superstar the Cavs have hoped for. Evan Mobley has blossomed before our very eyes. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen have continued their high level play. Guys like Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, and Lamar Stevens have been making an impact on both ends of the floor. The junkyard dogs have been out in full force in the Land this season.
It has been great to see this franchise turn things around the way they have. Now, the real work is about to begin.
In less than two weeks, the Cavaliers will be playing in the playoffs, where legacies are forged and seasons ended. Here are three burning questions for the Cavs as they embark on their playoff run.
Burning question No. 1: How tight will J.B. Bickerstaff keep his rotation?
As the regular season winds down, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has been tightening his rotation to eight. For most nights, it has been eight, with Ricky Rubio, Caris LeVert, and a combination of Cedi Osman and Lamar Stevens. However, due to the recent knee soreness that is hampering Isaac Okoro, Bickerstaff has had to improvise. He has moved Dean Wade back into the starting lineup, keeping LeVert in his sixth man role off the bench. The status of Okoro for the first round of the playoffs is unknown at this time, which puts Bickerstaff’s rotation in flux.
We know that Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, LeVert, and Allen will handle most of the minutes, but Bickerstaff needs to expand his rotation so that guys do not get tired down the stretch of important games. The Cavs have to gear up for a lot of close games and physical ones as well, and an expanded rotation will help with that.
The ideal bench rotation sans Okoro should be Rubio, LeVert, Stevens, and Osman. Bickerstaff has a plethora of options off the bench and a bunch of guys that can play meaningful minutes. In my opinion, he should expand the rotation to nine or 10. The question is will he?
Burning question No. 2: Is Danny Green going to play?
When the Cavs signed Danny Green, it seemed like a move geared for the postseason. Two months in, and he has only played six more games in a Cavaliers uniform than me. Granted, Green had only played sparingly thus far this season prior to being signed by the Cavs as a buyout market pickup in large part with him recovering and getting back up to speed coming off an ACL injury, but Green could theoretically be of use.
Green offers veteran shooting and championship experience to a roster that needs it for the playoffs. The Cavs have had to deal with inconsistency after inconsistency at the wing spot this season, and while it has picked up lately, Green can certainly help at this point.
He has not shot below 36% from three since 2016. He’s played on three championship teams, and he has been teammates with LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard. Why on earth is he not playing?
Is Bickerstaff saving him as a secret weapon to deploy in the playoffs? I sure hope so, because if the Cavs want to go far, they need a veteran presence like Green. The one weakness the Cavaliers have is playoff experience, and you cannot expect them to be acclimated right away. Green can alleviate some of that pressure, provided he’s able to find his rhythm. Let’s hope Bickerstaff sees it.
Burning question No. 3: How far can the Cavs go?
As I stated before here, the stats show that the Cavaliers have all the makings of a championship contender. However, some seem to believe that this Wine and Gold team is a year away from realistically contending for a championship. This is largely due to the inexperience most of the squad has in the postseason, which is a fair criticism for teams set to play in the league’s “second season,” if you will.
Rotation regulars like Garland, Mobley, and Okoro have yet to play in a playoff game, and those guys are 23, 21 and 22, respectively. The only guys with playoff experience are Mitchell, Allen, LeVert, and Rubio. Hell, even the club’s head coach in J.B. Bickerstaff has only coached in seven playoff games.
The top teams in the East like the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, and Philadelphia 76ers all have extensive playoff experience, which is something the Cavs lack. Despite that, this Cavaliers squad has arguably just as much talent as those three teams. They have championship level talent.
Are they ready to tap into it now? Or are they a year away? Only time will tell for this group. Rest assured, it’s going to be a blast watching these Cavaliers in the postseason.