After a historic regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers head into the playoffs with high expectations and a target on their back.
Cleveland guaranteed themselves the first seed in the Eastern Conference after reaching win 63, accomplishing a feat indicative of a true postseason contender. The Cavaliers spiraled into a full rebuild after tearing down the roster when LeBron James left in 2018. Reaching more than 60 wins exemplifies the efforts of the Cavs' front office, building a talented challenger through educated draft selections, timely trades and prudent offseason decisions.
Now, the Cavs' fortitude will be tested each round. Though the Cavaliers fell short in the postseason in the last two seasons, a new-look offense and star development by Evan Mobley have elevated the squad to new heights. Throughout the regular season, head coach Kenny Atkinson led the team to the NBA's most efficient offense, claiming the top offensive rating and highest three-point shooting.
The Cavaliers' latest success and depth of talent suggests a deep postseason campaign, but they will only find their potential fulfilled if every member of the organization competes at the highest level with confidence and determination. Fortunately, the Cavaliers' playoff outlook is greater than ever in the current era, entering the postseason healthy, efficient and cohesive. To recognize their potential, three Cavs must exemplify the established winning culture and take another step forward.
Cleveland needs the best version of Darius Garland
When All-Star point guard Darius Garland became the Cavs' top option in his breakout 2021-22 season, the team lost in the Play-In Tournament despite holding home court advantage in their elimination game against the Atlanta Hawks. While Garland has reached unforgettable heights in his five-year Cavaliers tenure, his postseason production has been inconsistently less-than-exemplary.
In each of the Cavaliers' playoff appearances, Garland's averages dipped substantially. Garland's playoff debut against the New York Knicks pushed him past his limit physically. Although the star still averaged just over 20 points per game, his impact was noticeably underwhelming compared to his regular season performance.
This year, the Gary, Indiana native has helped the Cavaliers overcome tightly-contested matchups, showcasing a clutch gene undiscovered earlier in his career. In clutch moments, Garland has been the Cavs' top scorer, helping Cleveland win 24 of 33 clutch finales. He has shot 52.7 percent from the field and 45 percent from the arc in clutch games. Despite an infamous choke job at the free throw line in January against the Houston Rockets, Garland has been Cleveland's clutch X-Factor.
Garland has averaged 20.5 points, 6.7 assists and 1.2 steals this season, shooting just over 40 percent from three on 7.1 attempts per game. In the postseason, Cleveland needs to see this year's version of DG each night. His decision making, leadership and clutch production could be the deciding factor to the Cavaliers' postseason ceiling.
De'Andre Hunter can make or break the Cavaliers
Since joining the Cavaliers, De'Andre Hunter has fallen out of favor for the Sixth Man of the Year award, but he has nonetheless been an ideal addition to the Cavs' bench depth. The 6-foot-8 combo forward has seen a decrease in minutes and production with the Cavaliers as opposed to his time with the Atlanta Hawks - an expected change after joining a legitimate contender over the struggling Hawks.
Despite his dip in averages, Hunter and Ty Jerome have been the Cavs' go-to scorers off the bench. Cleveland's newest 3-and-D forward is shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range, second only to his former Virginia Cavaliers partner Jerome. Adding another volume shooter with strength and two-way versatility makes the Cavs immediately more threatening to any playoff rival. However, if Hunter cannot fully integrate himself to Cleveland's system in the postseason, he could be the weak link that leads to a untimely downfall.
Although Hunter has spent the majority of his career at the small forward spot, 72 percent of his playtime with the Cavaliers has been at the four, helping space the frontcourt alongside one of Jarrett Allen or Mobley. On paper, Hunter gives the Cavaliers exactly what had been needed since Mitchell's 2022 arrival - a big floor spacing wing with defensive talent. With an undersized backcourt, an athletic defender with size helps alleviate the defensive liability from the guards. For the bigs, Hunter opens the post for Allen and Mobley to operate, forcing defenses to stay connected to him from deep.
Behind Hunter, Cleveland has few options at the forward spot. Dean Wade, though an impactful big wing, cannot be expected to be the Cavs' only frontcourt backup for an entire postseason. The Cavaliers need Hunter to take the next step, executing at his best level in the coming 16-game season.
In Mobley the Cavs trust
The Cavaliers know the talent available in Donovan Mitchell, a veteran star with tremendous playoff performances. What he cannot be expected to do, however, is carry an undeserving team to the Finals like Cavs fans got used to seeing from LeBron. Mitchell needs a solidified second star, and that must be Mobley.
Cleveland's defensive juggernaut Mobley has evolved his offense to earn his first All-Star nod and become an All-NBA candidate. The 23-year-old unicorn expanded his offensive game, improving his playmaking to help the ball keep moving until defenses slip up. His scoring, especially his aggression, has elevated. In the past, Mobley looked insecure when he drove to the basket or backed down a defender, often losing control of the ball after poorly timing his dribble on taking contact. Now, Mobley's refined offense punishes defenses who overcommit to Mitchell or Garland.
With Mobley's growth, Cleveland has entrusted more offensive leadership into their young star. In last year's playoff series against the Celtics, Mobley flashed his star talent, scoring 107 points over seven games after scoring just 85 points through a full seven-game series versus the Magic. He ended the playoffs with a career-postseason high of 33 points, seven rebounds and four assists as he tried to will his team to keep their season alive.
Defensively, Mobley dominates in the playoffs. In last year's campaign, he ranked second in total blocks (26) despite exiting in the second round. With the offensive end now realized, whether or not Mobley elevates his production again in the playoffs could have the largest impact of any single player in Cleveland this year. The Cavaliers need a star who can add to the backcourt's efforts. If Mobley can prove that his offense and shooting is real, Cleveland will be an unstoppable beast in the playoffs.
These three Cavs have been key players all season, but for the Cleveland Cavaliers to reach their goals, each one needs to take the next step and become a leader in their own right. Hunter must be the prototypical 3-and-D the Cavaliers hoped to get in the deadline trade, and both Mobley and Garland need to maintain their All-Star impact following the final buzzer of game 82.