4 Cleveland Cavaliers who need to bounce back next season

It might feel surprising, but the overall NBA season is almost over. The Denver Nuggets have secured their first NBA Finals, set to face off either the Miami Heat or the Boston Celtics starting June 1. NBA free agency negotiations will open on June 30, hardly a month away. While official free agency does not begin until July 6, teams can begin negotiation a week prior.

The offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers feels much longer with a short run in the postseason. At the end of the day, there is a limit to the excuses the Cavs have for their unfortunate end. Even with their poor round against the New York Knicks, this season was a huge leap forward for the Cavs.

In order to push closer to greatness next season, these Cavaliers will absolutely need to bounce back after their disappointing end to the season (assuming each of these players returns come October’s opening game).

No. 4: Dean Wade

In the 2022-2023 regular season, former G-League forward Dean Wade seemed to be a hidden treasure or a secret weapon for the Cavs in their search for size at the wing position. In September, Wade agreed to a 3-year extension worth $18.5 million (with $16.5 million guaranteed). It was clear that the Cavaliers believed Wade would be an important piece for the future of the franchise as a spot-up shooting forward who had the size at 6-foot 9 to defend taller opponents.

Further cementing Cleveland’s hope in Dean Wade, it was no secret that opening up more minutes for Wade played a substantial role in the eventual Kevin Love buyout.

Now, Kevin Love is one game away from reaching the NBA Finals with the Miami Heat as a starter. On the other end, Dean Wade played a total of 11 minutes in the NBA Playoffs. Wade ended his regular season shooting a dismal 26.5% from three after Kevin Love’s buyout.

With Wade’s disappointing end, his name is already floating around in plenty of trade rumors it seems as a possible candidate to be dealt. If he comes back to Cleveland, he needs to remind the fans why he earned that extension that everybody celebrated at the time.

Some of Wade’s struggles last year can be attributed to injury, as he only played 44 games in the year. His inconsistency in minutes and availability might have hurt his confidence. Now, the Cavs are looking to improve their wing depth and possibly push Wade further down in Bickerstaff’s rotation. To earn a constant spot on the court, Wade has to keep his shooting above league average and continue to provide valuable defense.

No. 3: Darius Garland

Darius Garland‘s breakout 2021-2022 season served as a catalyst for the Cavaliers to make the blockbuster Donovan Mitchell trade. Though Garland had been terrific, the Cavaliers still missed the NBA Playoffs at the hands of Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament. Cleveland recognized the talent Garland displayed and did not hesitate to bolster the team by getting a star next to DG.

Against the Knicks, Darius Garland seemed to have forgotten what made him an All-Star the year prior. He showed no aggression in scoring and never took command of the series outside of his 32-point Game 2 performance. At his best, you cannot help but be enamored with the stupendous innate talent Garland has. His signature hop forward after a dagger three-pointer never gets old.

Against the Hawks in the 2022 Play-In loss, Garland shot 33.3% from the field on 27 attempts. With nine assists, Garland also turned over the ball five times.

Not to harp on the young star, but Garland’s regular season talent has not followed into the postseason yet in his career. If the Cavs were still a Play-In team with no expectations of a deep run, his struggles would be more excusable. The Cavaliers would be playing against the best teams in the East if they made it past the Play-In.

That’s not the reality the Cavs have, though. They held home court advantage with a 51-31 regular season record. Darius Garland earned the full five-year, $231 million contract extension available to him. With so much money linked to the Cavs core and their success, Garland will need to prove himself beyond the 82-game season. He’s clearly capable of this, too. He has a killer mentality and has shown that at times. He will just need to find a way to harness that each and every series.

No. 2: Jarrett Allen

A member of Cleveland’s young core, Jarrett Allen struggled to help the Cavs at all in the postseason. New York’s Mitchell Robinson pushed Allen around in the paint, grabbing more offensive rebounds than Allen grabbed in total rebounds in Game 5.

Allen’s disappearance comes from a lack of physicality and strength, but it also comes down to the Cavs’ nonexistence of a backup big. The Knicks had Isaiah Hartenstein fulfilling minutes for New York while Robinson rested. On the other hand, Cleveland’s only post options were Allen and second-year star Evan Mobley. With the Cavs’ entire rebounding responsibility thrust upon only two players, there is only so much that can be done.

Yes, Allen gave up mentally. His positioning was worse than he ever showed during the regular season. Allen typically loses to physical centers, but this was different. If Allen has the chance to catch his breath and trust his backup, then he might be capable of fighting more for each missed shot and defending each interior shot.

Facing off against the physical Knicks was a wake-up call for Allen, and next season he will need to show that he is willing to beef up and not shy away from battles in the paint.

No. 1: Donovan Mitchell

Cleveland’s latest All-NBA player Donovan Mitchell has been in the postseason every season of his career thus far. In those series, he has scored 40 or more points four times. Against the Knicks, though, Mitchell only averaged 23.2 points in the first round loss, as opposed to his 27.8 points per game average for his career in the NBA Playoffs.

Secondly, Mitchell averaged nearly four turnovers per game against the Knicks in those five fateful games. Mitchell took accountability for his poor decision-making, but his collapse still led to an embarrassing end for his first season in Cleveland.

Donovan Mitchell is nothing less than capable of putting a team on his back for an entire series, but he has yet to reach the Conference Finals. He knows the pain of losing in the playoffs, and he will need to use this as inspiration to develop his game even further than where he is now through tireless dedication this offseason.

As the young talent in Cleveland continues to grow, then Donovan Mitchell will finally have a true contending roster next to him. Evan Mobley was already named to NBA All-Defensive First Team in his second season, a feat that cannot be taken lightly. As Mobley develops alongside Garland, Donovan Mitchell will be in the greatest position to win a title that he might ever find for himself for his entire career.

If the Cavaliers front office is aggressive this offseason, they will be able to speed this process forward and give Mitchell a true contending team. But, that contending team will need a leader. That leader needs to be Mitchell both on and off the court.

In that scenario, Donovan Mitchell will have no excuse to fail again. With more threats on the court, Mitchell will have more room to operate, either finding an open jump shot or driving lane.

Donovan Mitchell’s leadership will be tested, but he is probably ready for the task. In his first year with the Cavaliers, he set a new single-game scoring record with 71 points against the Chicago Bulls. The dynamic guard has what it takes if he has the right roster.

In the end, this season was a test for the Cavaliers at their present state. Their flaws were exposed, but the front office is showing a willingness to make crucial choices and bring more talent to the squad. These Cavaliers will be able to bounce back with new players to help, but their personal accountability will be the crux of their growth.

As a young team with high aspirations, their limit is decided by themselves and their reactions to failure. Will the Cavs be ready to Let ‘Em Know next year?