The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially on the verge of elimination. They've been overmatched, outhustled, outcoached, and outplayed by the New York Knicks since they blew a 22-point lead in Game 1.
Even if the game is at home, it's hard to like their chances in Game 4. Mike Brown has coached circles around Kenny Atkinson, the Knicks' bench is deeper and has more confidence, and the Cavs' stars simply haven't been up to the task.
Given everything Koby Altman and the front office have done to get this team to contention, it feels like the Cavs have officially reached a breaking point. This series exposed what people have long denied: It's time to blow up the roster.
The Cleveland Cavaliers need to start from scratch
For years, and even for most of this season, there has been speculation about whether LeBron James would return to Cleveland. He may not have much of a desire to do so after watching them go through the motions during this series.
Moreover, even if that were the case, it would just be a P.R. stunt or to sell jerseys and sell out seats. Even if James played excellent basketball in the playoffs this year, he just can't single-handedly lead a team to the NBA Finals like he did in the past.
This team is fundamentally flawed, and the sooner they blow up the roster and hit the drawing board again, the better. This team needs to wipe the slate clean, moving on from all of their "stars" to gather as many picks as possible.
Donovan Mitchell is a great player and an even better person. He's a positive leader and should be remembered fondly in Cleveland. That said, he's not a franchise-caliber superstar, and they can't hold themselves hostage by giving him a mega deal.
They also need to cut their losses with James Harden. It's better to just admit it didn't work out rather than doubling down and bringing him back for the next two years. He's never going to be a good playoff performer, and that was the only reason he was there.
As for Evan Mobley, he's making way too much money to be giving this team so little. He's always had the potential to be a two-way star, yet he's virtually the same player he was when he entered the league.
This team doesn't need a savior, or at least not one who's likely going to be there for a year or two and then leave. They need to build a strong foundation, and this core has made it clear that they're just not built for the moment.
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