The Cleveland Cavaliers had a great season.
That’s the big-picture narrative that is often lost at the end, when a team is eliminated from the playoffs and the bitter taste of defeat is in the mouths of players and fans. The Cavs had such a good regular season that it reset expectations for the playoffs, but the reality is that this team put together an extremely strong year, their young players showed signs of growth, and they gained valuable playoff experience that will make them better next year.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are building on a great season
That’s the foundation to stand on moving forward, while still acknowledging this team needs to make changes to improve. Their bench wasn’t good enough in the playoffs, now was head coach J.B. Bickerstaff able to find the right fifth starter or defensive scheme to contain the New York Knicks. Heading into the summer, the Cavs are considering all sorts of moves.
What they can’t do, then, is overreact to how the season ended. It was one series against one team. On the flip side, they can’t underreact either; this team as currently constructed wasn’t good enough. As they look to walk that line, here are three mistakes they need to avoid at all costs.