The honeymoon rebuilding phase is over. The Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer going to be a sneaky team or surprise people. They now have the weight of expectations following them around. That is what happens when you acquire a superstar like Donovan Mitchell, end a five-year playoff drought, win 51 games, and finish as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Now, it is all about taking the next step: becoming a championship contender.
The last couple seasons it’s been about growth and showing the league what they are made of. Now, the pressure is on. The Cavs are not in championship-or-bust mode yet, but they certainly cannot suffer from any setbacks or regress in any shape or form from here on out. To add to the pressure, Mitchell can become a free agent in 2025, and while he is happy in Cleveland, the aura of New York is still stuck in his head.
With that being said, the pressure is on in The Land, not just on the team, but players too. Here are the three Cavaliers that are under the most pressure next season. We will start with the most embattled wing player on the roster.
The Cavs player under the most pressure next season: Isaac Okoro
The highest heat level on a stove is 10. If Isaac Okoro is on the the Cavs roster next season, the stove is on 12 for him. That is the amount of heat and pressure that is on him right now. I do not have any criticism of Okoro’s work ethic or defensive ability, and he is also an outstanding teammate and can be a positive asset for this team. However, as a wing player in the NBA, you need to be a shooter or at least be an offensive threat. Okoro is none of those things and more.
Being a non-offensive threat as a wing is like not having Mac N Cheese on your plate at Thanksgiving. It just does not make sense. While Okoro has increased his three-point percentage every year he’s been in the league, he has only attempted 2.3 per game the past two seasons. It’s the lack of confidence and aggression that is very concerning. Most of the looks he gets are wide-open too, and the fact that Okoro is hesitating to take a WIDE-OPEN three-pointer is very concerning. He was almost unplayable against the New York Knicks due to his offensive ineptitude, and it was four-on-five on offense.
This was very unfortunate as Okoro was by far the Cavaliers’ best option when it came to guarding Knicks superstar Jalen Brunson, as he held Brunson to 7-of-21 shooting from the field as his primary defender. The problem with Okoro isn’t that he can’t shoot it into the ocean. The problem is that he WON’T shoot it into the ocean and it is so frustrating.
He is still very young and has a lot of room to grow, but if he is on the roster next season he needs to show significant signs of improvement. Otherwise, he will almost assuredly be replaced.
No. 2: Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley had a stellar sophomore season. He increased his average per game in points, rebounds, and field goal percentage. He was also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year and a member of the NBA’s All Defensive-First Team. However, Mobley had a very underwhelming series against the Knicks and his biggest flaws were exposed.
His lack of physicality in the paint was glaring, his limited offensive game was a concern, and his lack of aggression teetered as a result. The most surprising thing about Mobley’s underperformance against the Knicks is the fact that during the second half of the regular season, he showed a lot of promise as from January to March, he averaged 18 PPG on 56% shooting and he averaged 13 shots per game. This is the version of Mobley that needs to be a constant for the Cavs moving forward.
Ever since being drafted at number three overall, the expectations that have followed Mobley have been lofty ones. He has generational talent and the ability to become the NBA’s next great modern big man. He has shown flashes of that potential.
Putting his offensive game together is vital, though, especially when it comes to spacing the floor as he only shot 21% from three-point range.
Mobley has the potential to be a top 10 player; that from him just has to materialize sooner rather than later. The success of this team hinges on him taking a leap next season to really put it all together on both ends.
No. 3: Donovan Mitchell
Some might think I am crazy for putting Mitchell on this list, but hear me out. Mitchell had an amazing regular season. He had a 71-point game, averaged a career-high in points per game (28.3), a career-high in field goal percentage (48.4), and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team, although he had an argument to be on the First Team. Unfortunately, Mitchell was among a litany of Cavs that underperformed in the playoffs.
His numbers on the surface do not look bad, as he averaged 23/5/7 on 43% shooting. However, he only shot 29% from three-point range, and averaged four turnovers per game. Mitchell has a reputation of being one of the more elite postseason performers in the NBA, but he was a shell of himself these past playoffs and suffered yet another first-round exit.
While the Cavaliers were a young team in the postseason for the first time, there is no excuse for Mitchell’s underperformance. For a player of his caliber, he is judged based on his postseason performance. The regular season stuff is cute, but that doesn’t really matter. Postseason success matters a lot more.
If the Cavs flame out in the postseason again next year, and Mitchell has another underwhelming postseason, then his place among the top players in the NBA comes into question. The Cavaliers did not give up the blockbuster package they did for first-round exits. They did it so they could compete for a championship. Now the pressure is on Mitchell to deliver.
These three guys need to perform at a high level in order for Cleveland to get over the hump and become true championship contenders in the Eastern Conference next season. Otherwise, they will be back in the same spot next year and there will be more questions than answers.