After investing four maximum contracts in the core this summer, the Cleveland Cavaliers must meet the standards they have set themselves in the postseason.
The regular season is winding down, and the Cavs have proven they are ready for the challenges that lie ahead. Cleveland progressively improves season-by-season, first reaching the Play-In Tournament, then the first round, and most recently the second round. Donovan Mitchell's arrival in 2022 elevated the Cavs to borderline title contention, and the rise of the squad and Evan Mobley has made the Cavaliers an Eastern Conference favorite.
Despite all of the Cavs' masterful successes this season, including three players named to the All-Star squad, lingering shortcomings could lead to an early downfall. A brutal March schedule placed the Cavaliers into a hellish cycle of games against top teams with little rest or preparation. Throughout part of a nearly two-week road trip, the Cavaliers battled six times in just nine days. Exhaustion and fatigue had clearly set in, leading to the Cavs experience the worst losing streak of the year, dropping four consecutive games.
The Cavs hold the 14th best defensive rating through March (114.7) and the eighth-highest offensive rating (118.5), their worst month of the season in net rating. Cleveland's brutal schedule exposed their worst flaws with one recurring costly mistake highlighted as the prevailing threat to allow conference rivals to kill their Finals hopes early.
Cleveland loses the possession battle too often
Even if efficiency is an issue, volume can be a solution. The Cavs' defense forces tough shots with an elite frontcourt and quick closeouts. Forcing a miss is not the finish line, however, and the Cavaliers have often forgotten this during their recent stretch.
The Cavaliers are losing this possession battle. Against the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland's star frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen combined for 10 rebounds in the 133-122 road loss. On the other end, both Ausar Thompson and Jalen Duren surpassed double-digit rebounds individually. Cleveland's center, Allen, had four total boards. Duren, his counterpart, collected six offensive rebounds himself.
Being outrebounded on the offensive glass is an embarrassment. It gave the Pistons eight more field goal attempts on the night, punishing the Cavs' poor efforts. While it is one bad game amidst one bad stretch, this lackluster rebounding output has been a consistent issue plauging the Cavs organization.
Rewinding time to the Cavs' first playoff appearance in the Mitchell era, Cleveland was brutalized on the boards by the New York Knicks, especially former Cavalier Isaiah Hartenstein. Unsurprisingly, the only game in which Cleveland rebounded better than the Knicks, the Cavs came out on top. The other four games in the series were won by New York, both on the scoreboard and the backboards. In total, the Knicks outrebounded the Cavaliers 227-186 over the five games.
Defense wins championships, but rebounding is equally a part of defense as anything else. The Cavaliers can too quickly forget this, leaving their assignment freely roaming without being boxed out forcefully or tracked. Whether it is Hartenstein or Duren using force or Josh Hart or Thompson using hustle, the Cavs cannot slack in the playoffs.
If the Cavaliers are complacent following misses, their likelihood of reaching the NBA Finals will quickly vanish. Thankfully, the answer is right in front of them.
Rebounding is more than two people
Mobley and Allen are key factors in rebounding the ball. They are the Cavs' best post players and are often in position to grab the missed shots. The responsibility of stopping offensive rebounds and grabbing defensive ones primarily falls on them - not entirely, though.
The Cavaliers exemplified their best answer to this recurring issue against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ivica Zubac, the leading rebounder this season, collected 13 against the Cavs. Allen grabbed 12, and Mobley had seven. Surprisingly, Mitchell also snagged 12 of his own. Cleveland's rebounding edge was slight, winning the battle 45-44 in the 127-122 victory.
Zubac presents many of the same challenges Hartenstein and Duren do. He is a tall, strong and intelligent player. Zubac's effort is an anchor for the Clippers, earning him respect among the organization as one of the most important players on the roster. He may not be an All-Star, but the 28-year-old veteran has established himself as an elite role player, recording 50 total double-doubles this year.
What ultimately gave the Cavaliers the advantage was that the rebounding extended beyond the frontcourt. Detroit crashes the boards with all five players. The 2022-23 Knicks did the same. Whether a guard, wing or big man, every player needs to make a concerted effort to secure the rebound.
As the NBA continually extends to the three-point line more frequently each game, the chances that a miss goes long increase. With the ball falling near the free-throw line following a bricked three-pointer, the responsibility to rebound cannot fall entirely on two players. Mitchell's dozen rebounds stopped the Clippers from getting a second opportunity to score. Max Strus, De'Andre Hunter, Dean Wade and Isaac Okoro have all been fundamental in rebounding often times, but this has been the primary failure.
Allen sets the bar, and the rest of the Cavaliers follow suit. When he takes charge and makes himself an on-court leader, he lifts his teammates. The Cavs do not employ another elite rebounder beyond Allen and Mobley. It is Allen's responsibility to set the tone every game, especially with the playoffs approaching.
While Allen and Mobley still share in the blame for disregarding boxing out and failing to handle physicality well enough, there is more that must be done to win the championship gold. Against LAC, the Cavaliers showed they know how to win against physical centers who crash the boards. Unfortunately, this is not always the case.
With the postseason around the corner, the Cleveland Cavaliers must commit to the rebounding battle. There is no excuse or second chances in the playoffs. This will be the defining factor in their success for every series.