The Cleveland Cavaliers were seven minutes away from taking Game 1 on the road. Fast forward to today, and they're 0-3 in the Eastern Conference Finals and just 48 minutes away from ending their once-promising season.
Some might cut them some slack and say that their tired legs hurt them when it mattered the most, and rightly so. Then again, neither of the previous series should've gone to seven games, so again, that's mostly on them.
Whatever the case, this team might simply not have the personnel to beat the Knicks, tired legs or not. This series has exposed one of this team's most glaring weaknesses: The lack of true depth and contributors off the bench.
The Cavs are much thinner than the Knicks
Most teams shorten their rotations in the playoffs; that's just standard procedure. However, coach Kenny Atkinson has been either unwilling or unable to figure out what works and what doesn't despite playing nearly 20 postseason contests this year.
He's not getting absolutely anything from Dean Wade in the starting lineup, yet he continues to start over Max Strus. Perhaps that's to have someone who can provide an offensive spark off the bench, knowing that no one else is likely to step up.
Atkinson has kept Jaylon Tyson on a short leash, even though he might be the only player on the bench who could provide some playmaking, three-level scoring, and defense. He also dropped Keon Ellis from the rotation, regardless of his perimeter defense and streaky shooting.
The Cavs aren't a good matchup for the Knicks, but watching them play 10 games a night is far from ideal. Atkinson's supporting cast chose the worst possible time to fall from grace, but it's hard to get into a rhythm when the coach is constantly getting out-smarted.
Once again, Koby Altman and company put together a team that's built to win in the regular season. That's not necessarily bad, but this becomes a sprint after the 82-game marathon, and the Cavs simply don't have the type of high-level talent or depth to keep up with true championship contenders.
As things stand now, it's hard to believe this roster can get the job done. They don't have the financial flexibility to fix what needs fixing, and they may have to realize it's time to pull the plug on the failed Donovan Mitchell experiment and start from scratch.
Add us as a preferred source on Google