The trio of Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen has been together for four years now. In that time, they’ve made the playoffs every season, but their best finish was this past year, and they were brutally swept in the Eastern Conference Finals. Keeping a core together is important. Too often in today’s NBA, teams decide to give up on a team too early. They don’t give it time to gel. But the Cavs can’t fall too deep into madness.
On the one hand, the Cavs are building synergy. Obviously, they swapped out Darius Garland for James Harden last year, but again, that trio of Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen – all All-Stars at one point in time – has been together for a while now. The longer a team is together, the better chance it has to win. Build together, grow together, win together. Look at what the New York Knicks built. What the Oklahoma City Thunder built.
But at the same time, there comes a time for every NBA team when it has to realize that its core just isn’t going to get over the hump. The Cavs might be approaching that time, but it’s up to them to decide.
Cavaliers need to know when to move on
When he’s fully healthy, Mitchell is one of the best shot-creators in the NBA. And when the playoffs come around, he usually kicks his game up to another level, putting the team on his back.
Mobley is one of the best defenders in the NBA. He has a Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt, as well as multiple All-Defensive Team selections. And he’s still just 25 years old.
Then, there’s Allen. He’s one of the more underrated role players in the NBA. When he’s on the court, the Cavs are a better basketball team on both sides of the ball.
Keeping them together is smart. Teams are quick to rotate through players. If a team doesn’t get over the hump, a player gets shipped out, and the team rolls on, just hoping that the new squad gels together quickly enough to get the job done. Rinse and repeat.
That’s not the way to win in the NBA. Consistency pays off. The Knicks kept their core together. The Thunder are keeping their core together. It’s valuable to have the same guys building toward something for years.
But the Cavaliers have to know there must come a moment when it’s time to call it quits. To admit that Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen aren’t a good enough top three, even with Harden, to win a championship.
That time may not be now. But it’s going to come if they don’t get over the hump. And while consistency is valuable, the Cavs have to know when to cut their losses.
Add us as a preferred source on Google