Remember the days of Collin Sexton running rampant on the newly assembled Avengers that were the Brooklyn Nets in 2021? The days when the Cleveland Cavaliers were at the bottom of the Eastern Conference? When it seemed like the rebuild would never end? Well, those days are long past the Cavs, and now for one of the rare times in franchise history, a Larry O’Brien without LeBron James leading the way, seems realistic.
After acquiring superstar Donovan Mitchell a little over a year ago, it signaled that the Cavs were ready to take the next step. Last season was a memorable one, as they won 51 games, clinched a top four seed, and ended a five-year playoff drought.
Unfortunately, all of those good vibes vanished when the Cavs couldn’t shoot the ball into the Atlantic Ocean against the New York Knicks in the playoffs. Not only was the shooting bad, but grabbing a rebound for the entire Cavaliers frontcourt (cough, cough Jarrett Allen), seemed to be a tall task. That is all in the past and now the Cavs are looking to put that massive failure behind them and turn the page to success.
Obviously, every team’s goal is to hoist the Larry O’Brien at the end of the year. The Cavs have a chance at doing so, but there are also other goals they can achieve this season. It is all about taking the next step. Here are my three goals the Cavs should have for this season.
The Cavs spent all offseason fixing the roster deficiencies that caused them to flame out in last year’s postseason. They gave Max Strus a $62 million deal to fix their shooting issues on the wing. They also signed sharpshooter Georges Niang to a $25 million deal. These two combined to make 351 three-pointers last year, and add a new element to the Cavs offense. You don’t give two guys a combined $87 million just to make the playoffs.
You don’t build a core four of Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Allen just for fun, either. You shell out that kind of money and build that core for deep postseason runs and the goal for this team should be at least a Conference Finals appearance.
There is too much talent on this team for them not to get to that point at least. There are also questions with the top teams of the Eastern Conference as well. The Milwaukee Bucks are older and made no major improvements. The Sixers are primetime reality TV, and are praying James Harden doesn’t say another bad thing about the organization. The Miami Heat are starving for Damian Lillard and are still looking at the Portland Trail Blazers with puppy dog eyes so they can accept their mediocre trade offer.
The Cavaliers have a huge opportunity to take advantage and make a deep run. They have virtually no excuse after fixing the major weaknesses that plagued them. Now, it should be all about taking the next step.
The past two seasons, the Cavs have finished fifth and first respectively in defensive rating. Their goal should be to finish in the top five once again.
Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff has really gotten this team to buy in on the defensive end of the floor, and the team has developed their lauded junkyard dog mentality as a result. However, it all starts with their duo in the frontcourt featuring Mobley and Allen.
These guys are two of the best paint defenders in the NBA and also hold their own on the perimeter. I expect big things from them again, especially for Mobley, who made NBA All-Defensive First Team in just his second year. I believe he will win Defensive Player of the Year, continue to assert himself as one of the elite defenders in the NBA, and lead the Cavs to another top five finish in defensive rating.
As for the offense, the Cavs went from 20th to eighth last season, and they were led by Mitchell, who had his best offensive season as a pro. Pre-All-Star break last season, the Cavs were tied for fourth in offensive rating, before sliding to 13th after the break.
For 61 games, they were in the top five, and now that they have much needed shooting reinforcements with Strus and Niang, their offense is that much more dangerous. The goal should be to maintain that fourth place ranking they had for 61 games.
The Cavaliers no longer have to hope and pray when Isaac Okoro is in the corner wide open for a three. When Garland, and Mitchell drive and kick the ball out, they can rely on guys like Strus, Niang, and LeVert to knock the shot down.
This is the most attainable goal on the list. I am not saying the other two aren’t, but just looking at Eastern Conference Group A for the In-Season Tournament, Cleveland is the best team in the group.
The 76ers have more drama than the Marvel Universe’s Infinity Saga, as they deal with James Harden’s situation. The Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers have the potential to be young, exciting teams, but are not huge threats at this moment. Lastly, the Atlanta Hawks are the definition of mediocre, as they haven’t made any major offseason moves, and have a wonky fit in their backcourt with Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.
On paper, the Cavaliers have the best roster of these five teams, and the least amount of question marks. They are also the most defensively sound group of the five and that can take a team a long way.
All three of these goals are realistic for the Cavs, and if they are reached, then the season can be deemed successful. They have improved each of the last two seasons and I expect them to again with this being the best roster they have had since 2017.
We shall see what the season brings, but until then, all we can do is wait.