After falling to the Pacers in five games, the Cleveland Cavaliers failed to reach the Eastern Conference finals again. This marks the third straight season in the Donovan Mitchell era, ending in disappointment. The 64-win regular season was pointless, and the first-round sweep of the Heat meant nothing. So, where does the team go from here?
It’s no longer dramatic to think this current Cavs roster isn’t championship material. It’s starting to look more like a fact. As much as Donovan Mitchell wants to believe in this group, the reality hits them every postseason. So, naturally, the best action is to make a change. Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are two players that could be moved this offseason. Evan Mobley is an absolute untouchable, and Cleveland is very unlikely to let go of Donovan Mitchell.
So, if Cleveland breaks up the team, who do they target? As with every team in the league, Giannis is the dream. That’s simply not happening here. Overall, the Cavs need better defense and more reliable scoring. Plenty of players in the league fit that mold, but there are probably too many to list. However, Garland and Allen would garner plenty of interest around the league, so these fixes are easily achievable.
Recent news has indicated that the Cavaliers are not interested in making significant changes. That mindset might make sense if you consider the team’s regular season. With an early playoff exit again, though, it seems irresponsible to just run it back. If the Cavs choose to do just that and playoff struggles continue, the organization will have no choice but to change things up. So why take that risk when the team can notice and fix the alarming trend now?
If the Cleveland Cavaliers are serious about winning, they better be prepared to make some serious moves. Too often, teams can be comfortable with what they have instead of making hard decisions. The Cavs must get ahead of the game and try to fix something that isn’t good enough. If they don’t, playoff failures will surely continue.
If you love sports, download Stadium Rant from the Apple App Store and join one of the fastest-growing social sports communities. Be sure to follow us on socials too — you can find all our profiles on our Linktree.
