The Cleveland Cavaliers reached the 60 win plateau for the third time in franchise history and their magic number to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference is now four, meaning it’s very likely that will be the case.
We have said all season long, a remarkable regular season really, that the Cavs are in the unfortunate situation of having the regular season being rendered rather meaningless in terms of how the 2024-25 season will be viewed.
Most people knew the wine and gold were a playoff team, so the season will be measured by how successful they are in the playoffs. This means the season will only be a success if they at least advance to the conference finals.
Of course, with three winning streaks of over ten games, we are sure Kenny Atkinson and the front office are expecting an NBA championship. That’s why Koby Altman made the De’Andre Hunter deal.
No doubt, the players think the same.
We think Atkinson will start the post-season by playing ten guys as he has all season long. A lot of pundits will tell you coaches shorten their rotation in the playoffs, but they do that usually because a couple of guys aren’t playing well, and the margin for error is much less in the playoffs.
Two of the players who will be on the spot during the playoffs will be the team’s two defensive specialists, Isaac Okoro and Dean Wade.
Okoro is an excellent wing defender and has improved his three-point percentage to where the past two seasons he is making 39.1% and 37.4% of his long-distance shots. We feel he is more versatile offensively that has been shown. Cleveland has made him virtually and “3 and D” player, but he can take the ball to the hole and can be an effective cutter in Atkinson’s offense.
His problem in the playoffs has been his hesitancy to shoot the ball. And he either doesn’t want to shoot or isn’t making shots when he does take them, it will limit how much he can play, the deeper the Cavs go in the post-season.
Wade has a reputation as a good shooter, but his career mark from three is just 36.6%, and his making 35.2% this season. His real value is his defense. At 6’9″, he can defend on the perimeter, a big deal especially in a series vs. Boston with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Along with Hunter, the Cavs can now match the Celtics’ size on the wing.
Wade is streaky as a shooter, we have documented before that if you take five games away from his career, his three-point shooting drops to the 33% range. In the playoffs, he needs to either be hot from outside or better yet, become more versatile, meaning don’t be afraid to put the ball on the floor.
We know Atkinson is going to use Hunter and Ty Jerome off the bench. If he shortens his rotation, Okoro and/or Wade are likely to be on the bubble along with Sam Merrill. The latter’s situation is easy. Although he has improved defensively, if he’s making shots, he will play.
Since February 1st, he’s knocked down 39.4% of his threes. That kind of percentage would get him on the floor. For Okoro and Wade, the coaching staff know what they will bring on defense.
For them, it is how much they can contribute on the offensive end.
Cleveland Sports Perspective 