3 reasons why the Cleveland Cavaliers have a good shot to win the East next year
By Chad Porto
The Cleveland Cavaliers have a good shot to win the NBA Eastern Conference next season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished the 2022-2023 season rather disappointingly. They were unable to beat the New York Knicks in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, and it was mostly due to how the offense was structured.
It was too centered on the likes of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland getting their shots, and not working every player they had on offense into the scheme. Too much hero ball, and not enough of a structured offense with scripted plays. It doomed the Cavs. The lack of offense also made other issues seem bigger than they were.
Notedly the interior defense. Considering the Knicks were held in check for most of the series by the Cavs’ defense, we can safely say that it wasn’t the fault of guys like Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The Cavs held the Knicks to 99.6 points per game, a playoff-low for any team in the playoffs.
So we know that it was the offense’s fault, and in a large part, J.B. Bickerstaff’s fault for allowing Mitchell to dominate the offense as he did. Now, does this mean the Cavs can’t win with this core? No, of course, they can.
They need some help; a new big man, a starting small forward who can shoot from three, and maybe another bench scorer but those are mid-moves at best. Nothing that can’t be done. So the quest for the NBA Finals is still on for the Cavaliers.
It’s even more on when you realize that the three teams ahead of the Cavs in the rankings are looking at less stable futures.