1 key lesson the Cavaliers should take from the past 4 NBA Finals
Parity in the NBA is extremely high right now. There has been a different champion every year since 2019. This current era has many superstars, but no single player or team that is expected to dominate and win on a consistent basis. There is no Michael Jordan led Chicago Bulls, Kobe & Shaq Los Angeles Lakers, Big three Miami Heat, or Curry and Durant iteration of the Golden State Warriors Warriors. If the Cleveland Cavaliers hope to join the list of champions, they should study the recent Finals for a pathway to success.
There are many great teams, but the league has been wide open since Kevin Durant left the Bay Area for Brooklyn.
With this competitive balance in the league, the league is seeing teams that kept their cores together, despite some turbulent seasons, be rewarded with the ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship. Chemistry builds over the years. Players that experience tough playoff losses together use those scars and experiences to be more prepared and hungrier for the next season. Letting talented young players learn and grow together is invaluable in the world of sports.
With a summer of big decisions coming up for the Cavaliers, maybe this Boston team's resilience around their core paying off should be a sign for the Cavs to keep their core together rather than make a dramatic trade to shake things up. Finding ways to improve the team is always a positive, but change for the sake of change can often be the downfall of a franchise. Let's look at the past four NBA Champions and examine how they kept their core together but made improvements elsewhere.
2024: Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics finally broke through and won the NBA Championship on June 17 in a five-game series against the Dallas Mavericks. After years of the media speculating if the Celtics should trade Jaylen Brown or not sign him to a long-term extension, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen not only won a championship together, but Brown won the Finals MVP.
Boston knew they had two special players in Tatum and Brown and didn't want to give that away. Those two have been teammates since the 2017-2018 season and in their tenure together had been to five Conference Finals. This year was their second time making it to the NBA Finals.
Disappointing losses like their Eastern Conference Finals seven-game series last year against the eighth-seeded Miami Heat, and their 2022 NBA Finals loss to the veteran-led Golden State Warriors put an immense amount of pressure on their front office to do something. The world of sports is fast-paced and often unfair. But, the Celtics believed in Tatum and Brown and found other ways to improve their team while keeping their core two players together.
The Celtics included their long-time guard Marcus Smart in a trade to acquire Kristaps Porzingis. They also parted ways with Malcom Brogdon and Robert Williams in a trade for Jrue Holiday. These were unquestionably great moves that made their team better without sacrificing one of their two superstars.
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley seem to be Cleveland's two "stars" that are off limits, but the Cavaliers may want to hold on to more of their key players than just those two. The Cavaliers could look for improvements to their team without moving their young former All-Stars, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen. However, Boston did have to sacrifice core player Marcus Smart to improve their team to the next level, so if the right fit and opportunity comes around, they should be willing to at least listen.