The next steps for the Cleveland Cavaliers to become a great team this season
Greater boost from role players and bench contributors
Max Strus’ largest statistical improvement as a playmaker came as a Cavalier, nearly doubling his average (4) and logging a solid assist-to-turnover ratio (2.5). He refined his skills passing out of pick-and-roll and was one of the Cavs' top connectors. Yet, he converted 35 percent of attempted 3-pointers, as good as his last season in Miami but lower than the 41 percent tallied in 2021-22.
The next step is combining his former deep accuracy and picking up some extra on-ball duties. Letting him take the ball upcourt more would take advantage of weak pickup points, allowing him to take a pull-up against a weak defense.
Coming off the Cleveland bench, Isaac Okoro guarded the other team’s top perimeter player and raised his deep shooting accuracy in 2023-24. For the upcoming campaign, he must start putting the ball on the floor in case Caris LeVert has a down game because the team could always use another ball handler.
Keep Donovan Mitchell healthy
Mitchell was the Cavaliers’ best attacking option because of his production and the overreactions he created. Yet, he missed 27 of the team’s regular-season games last season. That’s too much time absent for the squad’s engine, considering that before he arrived in The Land, Mitchell played in 88 percent of possible regular season matches. Of note, the best players on the past five championship teams competed in 86 percent of matches (LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokić, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown).
The record in games he played was 36-19 in 2023-24. At that pace, the Cavaliers easily would have cracked 50-plus wins again if his body didn’t start breaking down. Yet even banged up, Mitchell was a tractor on offense through 10 of the Cavs’ 12 Playoff outings.
With a new head coach in charge, the Cleveland Cavaliers can enter the 2024-25 campaign with a greater offensive scheme, utilizing Mobley's versatility, Garland's star potential and the possibility for the supporting cast to elevate their production.