Teams Starting To Creep Up On Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled since the NBA All-Star game. Much of the struggles have been because of injuries, but still, they are 7-8 since the game in Indianapolis, and their once solid position in the Eastern Conference standings is no longer.

When the break came, the Cavs were 36-17, second in the East, and three games ahead in the loss column over 3rd place Milwaukee, and five losses ahead of New York and Philadelphia.

As of today, they have dropped to third, and are just two games in the loss column ahead of New York, and three over Orlando.

We don’t think we need to say that if the wine and gold drop to the #5 spot, they will not have home court advantage in the opening round playoff series.

Donovan Mitchell came back from his knee issue to play two games last week, but said after Saturday’s defeat in Houston, he will likely miss more time due to the knee, trying to get it completely healthy.

So, with a tough stretch coming up, eight of the next 11 are on the road, J.B. Bickerstaff is going to have to come up with another way to win basketball games. They had great success without Darius Garland and Evan Mobley earlier in the season, but this time, it’s Mitchell, clearly the most important player on the team.

The Cavs are also missing Mobley again, this time with an ankle injury, and Max Strus. Both are important players, but they aren’t Mitchell, who carried the Cavaliers when Garland and Mobley missed a great deal of time in December and January and did it when Bickerstaff put the ball in his hands.

What would we do in the meantime?

First, we would slow the pace even more than they have already. Cleveland is 21st in the league in pace, and we would slow it down even more, especially against the better, more athletic teams in the NBA.

Second, we would start Caris LeVert in Mitchell’s absence and put the ball in his hands and that of Jarrett Allen.

We know we have been very critical of Darius Garland, but why not take advantage of what he is doing well right now, which is his long-range shooting. He was making 33% of his threes before the break, and has been on fire after, knocking them down at a 42.6% clip.

He still is turning the ball over more than we would like, and if we see him drive to the basket one more time and get stripped, we will lose whatever mind we still have.

LeVert is averaging 5. 2 assists per game with just 1.5 turnovers, and Allen has done a very good job operating out of the high point and finding open shooters on the perimeter. He’s averaging a full assist higher than he ever has in his career, and still could wind up with the highest scoring average since he came into the NBA.

We would also get Craig Porter Jr. on the floor more when LeVert is not in the game.

The organization might disagree because the Cavs have the league’s best road record, but we think it is important for the wine and gold to have home court for the first round of the playoffs.

That means to need to stack some wins despite the injuries. They only have six home games remaining, so they are going to have to gut it out on the road.

It won’t be easy.

Time For Cavs’ Bench To Step Up

On February 13th, the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the San Antonio Spurs to extend their winning streak to seven games and raise their record to 38-22.

Since then, the Cavs have played six halves of basketball and of those six, one-third of them have bee ghastly.

The last game before the all-star break was against another Eastern Conference contender for a home court advantage spot in the first round of the playoffs in the Philadelphia 76ers, and the wine and gold were overmatched in the first half, trailing 63-38 at intermission.

The Sixers hit 8 of 15 three point shots, and the Cleveland bench plus Isaac Okoro shot 4 of 13 from the floor and hit a lone shot from behind the arc in seven attempts.

Cleveland rebounded to outscore the Sixers 74-55 in the second half, but Philly shot 5 of 12 in the second half from three-point range. The Cavaliers not named Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley scored six points on two of six shooting.

J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad played a more complete game at home against Denver in the first game after the break, but still dropped a game to the Western Conference leaders. But the Nuggets torched the Cavs from long range, hitting 17 of 36 threes, including 10 of 18 in the second half.

For the game, Cleveland hit just 6 of 26 long-range shots. The Cavs’ bench plus Okoro made just one three-point shots in nine attempts.

The Cavaliers went to Atlanta on Friday and laid another egg on the road, getting overmatched by the Hawks in the first half, heading into the locker room down 81-57. The bench bunch contributed just 10 points in the first half on 3 of 14 shooting and the Hawks made seven of their dozen three-point attempts.

For the game, Atlanta hit 15 of 28 from beyond the arc.

The Cavs have prided themselves on their defense over the past two years, but in the last three games, they’ve allowed 123 points per game and created a huge halftime hole for themselves in the two of those contests.

We have pointed out all season long that the Cavs’ recipe for victory is the “Big Four” to play well and have at least two players from the second unit have solid games. Over the last three games, they have gotten little from the substitutes.

Caris LeVert is the #1 reserve for Cleveland, but in the last three games, he has scored just 11 points total on 5 of 10 (1 for 6 from three) shooting. He has to score for the Cavs to be successful.

Dean Wade has five points taking just five shots. Okoro, who starts but isn’t one of the four principal players has 13 points on 4 of 12 shooting (2 of 7 from distance).

The best reserve has been Cedi Osman, who missed the Sixers’ game, but has averaged 7.5 points in the two others.

Somebody simply has to step up for Cleveland to win.

Another issue has been Mitchell’s long-distance shooting. Cleveland’s lone all-star shot 41% from distance through December but has hit just 33.5% since the calendar changed to 2023. We know he’s been bothered by a sore groin, but his three ball isn’t falling, he has to get to the basket more.

We understand how the regular season has very few games, but tonight’s is a big one for Bickerstaff’s club. They need a win and they’ve lost to the Raptors in all three games between the two teams.

The bench bunch has to get it going starting tonight. And the point guards need to get LeVert going early. The team needs his scoring and ability to create shots to be successful.

Next Season For Cavs Starts Next Week

Tonight is game six of the NBA Finals, and the season could reach its conclusion if Golden State takes the game, wrapping up the franchise’s fourth title since 2015.

However, most teams are looking forward to next season, and that kind of kicks off a week from today with the NBA Draft. For those hoping to be playing in the Finals, this is their first chance to start to improve their roster.

Since the Cavaliers did not make the playoffs this past season, making it only to the “play in” tournament, obviously they are a team that needs to get better so they can finish in the top six of the Eastern Conference standings in 2022-23.

Much of that improvement will come from experience. Remember, the wine and gold’s three best players are very young. All Stars Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen will be 22 and 24 respectively when next season begins.

And rookie of the year runner up (he was snubbed for the honor) Evan Mobley, will be 21. This trio will get better from experience if they put the time in on the practice floor.

That will make the team better.

And remember, if the Cavs can come to a contract extension with Collin Sexton this summer, he played just 11 games due to a knee injury and having him on the court will also improve the squad.

Conversely, how will Kevin Love play next season, a year in which he starts as a 34-year-old. His minutes were down to 22.5 per game, the lowest number of his career, as he embraced the bench role for J.B. Bickerstaff.

Love nailed 39.2% of his three-point attempts last season, his highest percentage 2017-18, the last time he made the All-Star team. He also played the most games since 2014-15, his first year in Cleveland, playing in 74 games.

We don’t anticipate much of a drop off for the veteran. He was happy last season because the Cavs were winning though, if they get off to a bad start, you have to wonder if Love will still be happy.

Bickerstaff and his staff need to be prepared to combat what other teams may do against the three seven foot front court starters the Cavaliers use. And if Caris LeVert is still here, how does the staff make best use of him.

The one criticism we had of the head coach was that he did a great job developing a style of play early in the year, but in the second half, they seemed to move away from it.

We get injuries were a factor, but the defense and rebounding did slide as the season went on, and that wasn’t due to injuries, the attitude seemed to change.

In conjunction with that, GM Koby Altman can’t have the end of the roster filled with G League guys and veterans there for locker room presence.

At the beginning of the season, Altman signed Kevin Pangos and Ed Davis for depth. While Davis contributed early, by the end of the season, he shouldn’t have been on the floor. As for Pangos, in his first NBA action, it was obvious he was not an NBA player.

That cannot happen again this off-season.

There are also players the organization needs to make decisions on, notably Cedi Osman and Dylan Windler.

It’s obvious the organization isn’t enamored with Osman, and most times, they don’t use his best skills (driving, creating). They seem to want to make him a three-point specialist.

Windler has had injuries and just hasn’t produced when he is on the court. Holding on to both doesn’t sound optimal.

Next year starts in one week. We will see if Altman has anything up his sleeve in moving playersa as the first round unfolds.

Bring Back LeBron? Not That Simple.

Ever since the All Star Game in Cleveland and the comments made by LeBron James about his home area during the festivities, there have been rumors or speculation that James would consider coming back to the Cavaliers, especially now that the wine and gold are playing winning basketball.

James is 37 years old, but is still playing at an amazingly high level. He is currently averaging 29.4 points per game, the highest since the end of his first tenure in Cleveland, way back in ’09-’10.

He poured in 56 points on Friday night against Golden State, and you can still make an excellent case that he is the most dominant talent in the NBA, even in what figures to be the twilight of his career.

Adding James to the current Cavaliers’ roster would make them the favorites to hang a second NBA title banner from the rafters of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

However, it isn’t as simple as that. It never is when it comes to LeBron James.

First, James is owed $44 million next year on the last year of his contract, so even if he told the Lakers he wanted out, the Cleveland would still have to make the numbers work in terms of the salary cap.

And of course, the Lakers would want something in return, a very good player more than likely to pair with Anthony Davis.

Would Koby Altman want to part with either of his new “Big Three”, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen, or Evan Mobley to get a player, even a player with James’ greatness, who will turn 38 years old.

We know James keeps himself in pristine shape. Still, Father Time is undefeated and no one knows when age will creep up for The King. So, let’s say the Cavaliers are willing to give up Allen to the Lakers, and they only get one great season out of James?

That would be throwing away the rebuilding done by the front office over the last four years.

If James were to come back and just be a player and fit in with the current corps, there wouldn’t be any problems, correct? James can do whatever is needed on the court. He can score. He’s just around 1600 points from becoming the all-time leading scorer in NBA history.

He can rebound, averaging 8.1 this season, and the last time he was under 7.5 for a season, the Cavs won the 2016 championship.

And we all know he can pass. Two seasons ago, he led the league in assists. People who know the game say, he is a pass first player and is going to wind up as the greatest scorer in history.

We know James and his people wouldn’t just join the team and fit in. He would start making suggestions about adding veterans to the mix, he would rather play with guys who have been in the league.

He might start second guessing J.B. Bickerstaff or perhaps Altman. And he might put some burdens on the salary cap that will remain long after he is gone.

The latter might be a problem since the core of this team figures to be here for a while.

While bringing LeBron James back would make the Cavs instant championship contenders, they might be in the same position in two or three years without bringing him.

As we said earlier, it’s just not as simple as getting him and plugging him in. And it’s Koby Altman’s job to figure whether or not it’s the right move to make.

With Tough Stretch Coming, Cavs Need To Get Back To Defense

When the NBA’s all-star weekend came to town a week ago, the optimism around the Cleveland Cavaliers was at a season high. The wine and gold was sitting as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 35-23 record.

While people should still be viewing the Cavs as a huge surprise and success this season, there is no question the good thought have waned a bit because of the injuries that continue to plague J.B. Bickerstaff’s team.

Even though Lauri Markkanen returned when the games started back up last Thursday, the Cavaliers have been without all star Darius Garland (bone bruise in the back), and Caris LeVert (sprained foot) in both games after the break.

And now, Garland’s back up, veteran Rajon Rondo is out for two weeks with a sprained big toe.

Those are three of the team’s top nine players, and with three games with playoff teams coming up (Charlotte, Philadelphia, and Toronto) coming up, the Cavs need to adjust their style of play and have some players in the deeper part of the bench step up in the short term.

The “easy” part of the schedule is now over. In addition to the next trio of opponents, prior to St. Patrick’s Day, Cleveland will also play Miami and Chicago, the top two teams in the East, along with another tilt against the Sixers, and Denver also comes to town.

Hopefully, Garland and LeVert will be able to play by those latter four games.

In the meantime, Koby Altman brought in veteran journeyman Tim Frazier to soak up some minutes at point guard. Brandon Goodwin, who wasn’t even in the organization at the start of the season, will start, but the best thing might be for the offense to run through Cedi Osman and Kevin Love when they are on the floor.

And perhaps Bickerstaff should keep at least one of them out there at all times. When Love is on the floor, they like to have him at the high post and pass out of that spot. Osman is more of a drive and dish kind of player, but both have good instincts for passing the basketball.

Until then, the Cavs need players like Goodwin to perform. Unfortunately, he is showing why he was available for Cleveland to sign in the middle of December.

The same can be said of Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens.

It’s tough for players to be productive on most nights. It’s what separates the rotational players in the NBA with the guys who are the 10th to 15th men on the roster.

The best way for those players to make their bones in the league is to not play outside of themselves. Do the little things, set screens, play defense, etc. Those are the things that can be done every night.

Goodwin is very good going to the basket, but is a 31% career three point shooter. He gets in trouble when he shoots them when they aren’t going in. Wade needs to make shots because he doesn’t do much else, although he’s a decent defender.

What we liked about Stevens was that he didn’t fall into the trap of letting the defense determine how he would play. He has a solid mid-range game. He needs to continue that and let the game come to him.

The Cavs don’t need all three to contribute, but two out of three have to.

Furthermore, with Garland and LeVert out, defense is more important and Bickerstaff made that clear to his squad Saturday night.

Again, hopefully the injured players are back soon and the Cavaliers can get momentum going down the homestretch. Until then, they need to get back to what put them on the NBA map early this season.

Cavs Checking All The Boxes On The Good Side.

In the end, Cavaliers’ GM Koby Altman didn’t make any more moves at the NBA trading deadline, meaning Caris LeVert was the only addition to J.B. Bickerstaff’s squad.

As we wrote a couple of days ago, that was a mighty big acquisition, getting a scorer who can do other things for a couple of draft picks that likely won’t yield a player as good as LeVert.

The early returns seem good as well. The former Pacer scored 11 in his debut and 22 against his former team, and visually, looks like he fits in perfectly. He even commented as to how he feels his defense has to pick up because he sees his new teammates putting the effort in.

That’s called having a good culture.

There was a lot of talk about Altman trying to get a better backup point guard with Darius Garland’s current back issues. About a week and a half ago, Rajon Rondo didn’t have a good game against New Orleans, and Brandon Goodwin led a come from behind victory.

He followed that game up with a pair of two point games against Houston and Charlotte.

In the last three contests, Rondo looks like he can be the solution, even at age 35. He has put up 37 points and 22 assists in those games, playing an average of 28 minutes.

We are sure Bickerstaff doesn’t want Rondo playing those kinds of minutes on a nightly basis, but the veteran has shown he is still capable of being able to get the job done.

Bickerstaff has emphasized defense after the first couple games of the season (we are pretty sure he did so in training camp, but the results early were ugly) and the wine and gold now allow the fewest points per game in the league and are third in defensive rating.

Old school hoops people looked at defensive field goal percentage and Cleveland ranks third best in the league in that statistic (behind Golden State and Boston), holding teams to just 44% shooting.

As a contrast, the Cavs themselves knockdown 46.6% of their shots.

The other ranking that used to be judged was the average margin of victory, the reasoning being good teams win a lot of games by comfortable margins, “lucky” ones win a lot of close ones.

Again, the Cavs hold up well here, ranking 7th in this category throughout the league and 3rd in the Eastern Conference behind Miami and Boston at 4.61.

If you figure strength of schedule into the equation, the Cavaliers rank 1st in the East ahead of Miami and Boston.

You can’t help by being impressed by this group.

And while all teams this year have been affected by injuries and COVID, the Cavs have been no different.

Collin Sexton, who was starting at the beginning of the season, and Ricky Rubio, who was making a huge impact off the bench playing almost 30 minutes a game, are both out for the season with knee injuries.

Virtually every key player has missed time due the virus, and currently, Lauri Markkanen is out with a sprained ankle.

We don’t believe anyone understands the importance Markkanen has with his length defensively on the perimeter, and the spacing he provides offensively.

Yes, Dean Wade can shoot from outside, but Markkanen is much better putting the ball on the floor and attacking the rim.

We are anxious to see LeVert on the floor on a regular basis with Garland and Markkanen.

That will provide a much deeper team.

It won’t be easy. The Nets and Celtics both got better at the trade deadline too, and they will be formidable opponents.

But these Cavaliers check all the boxes as well. Spring basketball is always a lot of fun.

Cavs Are Fun, But It’s Time To Expect Success

Since the Cleveland Browns’ season ended last month, the sports focus of the city, other than the obsession with Baker Mayfield, has been on the Cleveland Cavaliers, and rightly so.

Not many people figured this would be a playoff year for the wine and gold, but as of today, they sit tied for the third best record in the Eastern Conference at 34-21, and they were buyers at the trade deadline, getting Caris LeVert from Indiana.

They have already exceeded the 30 wins we predicted they would get this season, and quite frankly, a 50 win season wouldn’t be a big shock.

Most of the commentary in the media has been about how much fun J.B. Bickerstaff’s club is to watch, and after three years of being among the worst teams in the NBA, absolutely it is a joy to watch this team play.

The thing that makes all this winning fun is the lack of expectation. No one expected the Cavaliers to be in this position. Fans were looking forward to the development of Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and were anxious to see how rookie Evan Mobley would hold up under the grind of an 82 game schedule.

And no one figured Kevin Love would be drinking from the fountain of youth, playing his most energetic and enthusiastic basketball since perhaps 2016.

There are no impending free agencies on the horizon, save for Collin Sexton this summer, so Koby Altman doesn’t have to tiptoe around making players want to stay in Cleveland. This is just about basketball and putting together a team.

How far can they go this spring and summer?

Five of the primary players on this edition of the Cavs are under 25 years old: Garland, Mobley, Isaac Okoro, Jarrett Allen, and Lauri Markkanen. We didn’t include Sexton because he’s not playing right now.

Of that quintet, only Allen has ever appeared in a playoff game, being in nine of them with Brooklyn in 2019 and 2020. He’s played in one winning post-season contest. Newcomer LeVert has the exact same experience.

On the other hand, Love, Cedi Osman, and Rajon Rondo have plenty of playoff experience. Heck, Rondo even has a nickname (Playoff Rondo) built around his 134 games of experience. Love’s been in 63 post-season games and Osman 14.

You notice all of the experience is coming off the bench.

A realistic expectation for this group probably depends on whether or not they end up in the top four of the conference, which would mean home court advantage in the first round. And even then, it depends on the matchup.

Having to play say Philadelphia or Brooklyn in the first round would be very difficult for these young Cavs, because of having an opponent with a great player who has a tremendous amount of post-season experience.

It would be great to win a title for sure, but ideally, winning one series could be a stepping stone for this group. It will show them what playing in the playoffs is like. Defense gets stepped up, every possession is of even greater importance.

Teams can surprise, like Atlanta did a year ago, but usually there is a process to success once the calendar changes to April and May.

However, Bickerstaff won’t change his approach and neither should the players. They should expect to win. That’s half the battle.

Hard To Argue With Addition Of LeVert

The Cleveland Cavaliers GM Koby Altman continued his controlled aggressiveness Sunday when he acquired Caris LeVert from the Indiana Pacers for Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract, and first and second round picks in this year’s draft.

The first round pick is the Cavs, which will hopefully be in the 20’s, and the second round pick is Houston’s which will likely be in the high 30’s.

LeVert can score and the wine and gold need some added offense. Over the past three seasons, the 6’6″ wing has put up at least 18.7 points per game. He’s not a great three point shooter, making 33% for his career, but he’s averaged at least 4.4 assists per contest in the same span.

He gives Cleveland another bigger wing, and someone else who can handle the ball for J.B. Bickerstaff.

And the best thing about the deal is Altman didn’t give up anyone who has been contributing to the surprising success of this team all season.

The lack of depth has been noticeable over the last week with Darius Garland out. We have said the Cavaliers have eight guys who can “play”: Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, Garland, Kevin Love, Cedi Osman, Isaac Okoro, the currently injured Lauri Markkanen, and we recently added Lamar Stevens to that list.

When two of them are missing, like what has happened with Garland and Markkanen out, they need two of the players not listed here to step up.

Sunday, Rajon Rondo dialed back the clock. A little over a week ago, Brandon Goodwin played very well in a comeback win over New Orleans.

LeVert should give the coaching staff another player they can depend on.

We say should because one of the great components of this year’s team is the chemistry, the togetherness of the group.

LeVert can be a little ball dominant at times, but also has good assist numbers. While the Cavs certainly need someone else who can create a shot when all else fails, he still needs to fit in other areas.

For example, this team is built on defense and grit. Can LeVert provide that?

This is where the veteran leadership of Love and Rondo come in. They will help in delivering Bickerstaff’s message to the newcomer. They have both bought in, and with Rondo just coming over in the last six weeks, he has already realized this group has a special culture.

By all reports, LeVert is and has been a great teammate. Pacers’ coach Rick Carlisle, who has been around for awhile, spoke glowingly about him. And Jarrett Allen already played with him in Brooklyn last season.

We would anticipate LeVert going into the starting lineup when he gets acclimated replacing Okoro, and that’s because the starting group needs someone besides Garland who can shoot. The bench bunch has Love and Osman who can put the ball in the basket.

And we are sure if the Cavs have the lead in the fourth quarter, Okoro will be out there because he can defend, and again, that’s what this team hangs its hat on.

As for giving up the draft picks? Yes, Altman might find a contributor that late in the first round, but this team is so young, there really isn’t a need to obtain more youth. They are better off getting playoff experience and seeing just how far they can go with this squad.

This was a good move by Altman, and he still has time to add another piece to strengthen the Cavs. We will find that out by Thursday.

Not Just Talent, Cavs Have To Be Concerned With Fit In Any Deal.

With the Cleveland Cavaliers currently sitting in the 5th spot in the Eastern Conference standings, much speculation has been made about possible moves to strengthen the roster for the stretch run before the February 10th trade deadline.

The Cavs need some scoring. They rank 20th in the NBA in points per game, and 11th in offensive efficiency. But although they are fifth in the league in field goal percentage from inside the three-point line, they are just 16th from beyond the arc.

Adding another perimeter threat would allow Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley more room to work inside, as we’ve seen teams start to dare the Cavs to shoot from outside, because Allen and Mobley are so lethal in the paint.

Darius Garland shoots the most threes, and he knocks them down at a 36.6% clip, and Kevin Love is next, making 40.3%. However, Cleveland is 20th in the NBA in shooting the long distance shot. They aren’t great at it, so they don’t do it a lot, and that friends makes sense.

The challenge for GM Koby Altman though, is not to just find someone who can make three pointers, but to find someone who fits into how Cleveland currently plays.

J.B. Bickerstaff has built this team on grittiness and a defensive presence, and the players have bought in. To bring in a player who will not buy in to how the Cavs are playing could ruin what this team has been built on.

In terms of what Altman has to offer, Ricky Rubio’s expiring contract would be first and foremost. The injured Rubio will not play the rest of this season, but he is a free agent at the end of this season, meaning his deal can help balance the cash on both sides.

The other major piece is Collin Sexton’s contract. Sexton will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season, and another team might want the right of refusal on the young guard.

Basketball is probably the leading sport where the parts (the talents of the players) must fit together. For instance, on defense, a team is only as good as its worst defender.

There is also a difference between playing winning basketball and losing basketball, so GM’s have to be careful bringing in players who don’t play “the right way”.

In our opinion, bringing in someone from a losing program would be a bigger risk than bringing in someone who has been on a winner.

When Altman needed to replace Rubio, we went for Rajon Rondo, who has played on winning teams virtually his entire career, including three teams who went to the NBA Finals. The GM knew Rondo would put winning first.

Caris LeVert is another name mentioned prominently, and although he doesn’t have the winning pedigree of Rondo, he is a proven scorer (over 18 points the last three seasons) and has a reputation of being a great teammate.

The downside? He’s only a career 33% shooter from distance.

On the other hand, another player who has been mentioned heading to Cleveland is Sacramento’s Buddy Hield, who is 40% shooter from beyond the arc since coming into the league but has been a part of a losing team for many years.

Could he fit into playing a role on a winning team? That’s what Altman needs to determine.

And really, it’s a question all winning teams have to ask. Not just about Hield, but any player who is used to losing.

Being on a winning team takes a lot of sacrifice for some players, having the willingness to forego some personal numbers so you can win is the type of players coaches and organizations love.

It’s not just about plugging in a players’ statistics to a certain team, including the Cavaliers. Being able to fit into the Bickerstaff’s plan for the team and being willing to fit in with the current group is very important.

If the Cavs want to enhance this team, those are all things that need to be considered.

How Things Have Changed For Koby Altman.

It appears the Cleveland Cavaliers have settled on long term stability, and we hope it works out.

On Christmas Day, the team announced an extension for coach J.B. Bickerstaff, keeping him as the head coach through the 2026-27 season. That would give Bickerstaff seven full seasons at the helm, putting him up there with Bill Fitch (9 years), Lenny Wilkens (7), Mike Fratello (6) in terms of continuous service with the team.

Then on Tuesday it was announced that GM Koby Altman would have the added title of president of basketball operations, and his contract was extended though the 2027-28 season.

So, the Altman/Bickerstaff duo will be running the professional hoops team in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

What a remarkable turnabout for Altman, who many (including us) questioned since LeBron James departed via free agency following the 2017-18 campaign.

There were back-to-back 19 win seasons (to be fair, the one year was shortened to 65 games by the pandemic), followed by 22 victories a year ago.

His first post-James draft pick, made with the precious lottery pick obtained in the Kyrie Irving trade, was Collin Sexton, a score first 6’2″ guard who isn’t a particularly good passer (some would say not willing either) and because of his height, is a defensive liability.

The next year, he doubled down on the guard position, taking another smallish guard in 6’1″ Darius Garland, and with other first round picks, he took swingman Dylan Windler, supposedly a good shooter, and the troubled Kevin Porter Jr., who has since departed.

The following first rounder was Isaac Okoro, another player with a limited skill set. He’s a very good defender, but offensively, he needs work.

Up until then, you can’t blame fans for wondering what was going on with the Cavaliers. Add in the head coaching chaos, bringing in long time college coach John Beilein, who was ill equipped to coach at the pro level.

Then during last season, Altman got involved in the big transaction involving James Harden going to Brooklyn, and came out with a young, talented big man in Jarrett Allen, and the Cavs signed the restricted free agent to a five-year deal.

After years of kind of ignoring size, Cleveland got some size. Allen averaged 13.2 points and 10 rebounds a game last year, and has upped that to 16.9 and 11 this season.

If he was playing, that move put Altman on a hot streak. Tayshaun Prince came over with Allen, and was used to get Ricky Rubio, a veteran playmaker the wine and gold needed, from Minnesota.

He used the 3rd overall pick to draft Evan Mobley (confession, we though he would be a project at this point) and made another trade to get Lauri Markkanen from Chicago. Bickerstaff likes size, and he decided to start the three seven footers together, giving Cleveland more size up front that most other NBA squads.

When Rubio went down, Altman almost immediately traded for Rajon Rondo, a very accomplished veteran to replace him.

There is no question Altman isn’t getting an extension and promotion without the moves made over the last year.

He also deserves credit for finding Bickerstaff and putting him in charge. Without a doubt, he’s a top candidate for coach of the year honors.

The Cavaliers are four years post-LBJ and they have made themselves into a playoff contender, not just a play-in tournament contender.

There is now pressure on Altman and Bickerstaff to keep progressing and get the Cavs back into championship contention.

It’s funny how things and perceptions can change in just a year. Koby Altman has become a rising executive in the NBA. That’s not something we would have said a year ago.