Cavs’ Current Style Is Not Conducive To A Title

There is something not right with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They had five days off following a loss at home to something resembling the Golden State Warriors G-League team, watching plenty of film of their recent struggles, and had a players only meeting leading up to their contest last Friday against Washington.

And then they needed Donovan Mitchell to rescue them after falling behind by 15 points to the 3-19 Wizards and steal a victory. Mitchell scored 48 points, half of them in the fourth quarter.

Yes, the Cavs are now 15-11 on the year. And it is true many starters and rotation players have missed a lot of game with injuries. Jarrett Allen has missed 11, Darius Garland 16, Sam Merrill 14.

And now Evan Mobley will miss 2-4 weeks with a calf injury.

Yet, something is off with this group after going 64-18 last season and finishing with the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The most logical thing to look at is shot selection. Cleveland leads the league in three point shot attempts, hoisting up 44.3 per game, which is 48% of their shots. Unfortunately, they are making just 34% of those long-range attempts, and that ranks 28th in the Association.

Last season, the Cavs were 4th in attempts, but were second in percentage, converting on 38.3%. It may not seem like a lot, but that 4% is huge. To put it in players’ terms, it’s the difference in shooting between Stephen Curry, perhaps the greatest long-range shooter ever, and Jalen Brunson, a great player, but not known for his long range shot.

We are sure Kenny Atkinson doesn’t want to tell players not to hoist threes, but right now, Garland is shooting just 27% from beyond the arc, and Lonzo Ball just 26% from out there. Maybe get a little closer until you get into rhythm?

We understand teams what to play with pace, but pace doesn’t come from firing the ball up the court and shooting a three with :18 on the shot clock. Generally, that doesn’t work out well.

Worse yet, Cleveland’s opponents are shooting 36.5% from three, so the advantage they enjoyed in shooting a year ago is gone.

For all the newer basketball fans who don’t think Allen is an effective player in today’s NBA, it looks like he might just be. Yes, Evan Mobley is a superb defender, but in watching Friday’s game, he’s guarding smaller players around 15 feet away.

That’s great, he has the ability at 6’11” to be able to go out and guard outside. However, without Allen, there is no one to protect the rim and rebound. The Cavaliers were 5th in rebounding a year ago and have fallen to 8th.

The defense on the perimeter has been a problem. Too many guards are getting to the basket against the Cavs and as noted before, without Allen around the basket, these are turning into a lot of easy baskets.

We are almost 1/3 of the way into this regular season and Christmas, when it is said the NBA season really starts is less than two weeks away.

We have said this before, we believe Atkinson is trying different combinations right now, so he is still experimenting. That understanding doesn’t mean it’s not tough to watch.

It should not be on Mitchell putting on a red cape and being Superman in order to beat one of the worst teams in the NBA.

With or without the missing players, the Cavs should be better than that. At least playing a winning brand of hoops.

It’s Early, But We Have Some Fears Regarding The Cavs

We believe the Cleveland Cavaliers are experimenting for sure. They’ve had all kinds of key players missing to start the season, with the only real constants being Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter.

They have provided several young players like Nae’Qwan Tomlin, Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr., and rookie Tyrese Proctor good opportunities to show they can contribute as the season moves forward.

And with all of this happening, they are still 13-10 and at least in terms of the ratings, a top ten offensive and defensive team.

But we do have a nagging lingering fear for this group. Perhaps the window to win a title was open widest the past two seasons.

The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are sitting at 21-1. Two young, long teams in the East are off to great starts. The Pistons are 17-5 and the Raptors are 15-7. And long teams seem to bother the Cavs.

We have written about the lack of size on the Cavaliers’ roster over the past few seasons, and the move toward more size was never more evident than it this past NBA Draft.

Of the top ten picks in the draft, six of them were guards who were over 6’5″. This means the current duo of Mitchell and Darius Garland ranks even lower in terms of size among NBA backcourts.

We understand Garland is coming back from off-season surgery and he has missed time since re-aggravating the injury. He helps the offense greatly with his skill to penetrate and also shoot from distance.

On the other hand, one problem we have seen is his ability to take care of the basketball. It was an issue in his first playoff series against the Knicks, and it really hasn’t changed. He had two big turnovers down the stretch against Atlanta last week that cost the team a chance at a win.

Then we have the Mobley issue. The thought was always that the Cavs would be title contenders when he was the best player on the team. Can that happen? He’s a very good player, the Defensive Player of the Year last season. But does he have the temperament of an alpha?

We do think Kenny Atkinson is putting him in different situation to see where he fits best offensively. He’s bringing the ball up trying to initiate the offense, but his ball handling doesn’t seem to be strong enough.

Last year, he seemed to thrive with the ball at the foul line extended and set up his teammates from that spot on the floor or be able to take the ball to the basket. Again, our guess is Atkinson is trying some things out and may settle on what worked last season.

We know the Celtics won a title just a couple of years ago with heavy reliance on the three-point shot. However, they fell short a couple of years ago when they lost in the conference finals to Miami because of their shot selection.

Last year, 45.7% of Cleveland’s shots were from beyond the arc and they converted on 38% of them. This season, the number of long-range shots has increased to 48.8%, and even worse, they are making less at 34.8%. That 3% difference is huge.

Football people talk about “complimentary football”, but it can be used in basketball as well. The Cavs have two solid defenders inside in Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but when you miss threes, it generally results in a long rebound and a fast break by your opponent.

Fast breaks tend to make having interior defenders moot.

We know everyone loves to play with pace, but maybe it would be better to play a little slower, take better shots, and make better use of the two bigs you do have.

It is better to be playing their best basketball in March, April, and May (and hopefully June) than now. When the New Year hits, the Cavs need to tighten some things up.

Looking At Cavs, Looking For Toughness

Tomorrow night, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have hit the 20 game mark of the NBA schedule, about a quarter of the way through. Hard to believe right?

The team has had to deal with a lot of injuries. No Cavalier player has appeared in all 19 games to date. Evan Mobley has played in 18, Donovan Mitchell in 17, and next up is De’Andre Hunter with 15.

Max Strus has been out all season, while Darius Garland has seen action five times.

Pretty amazing considering they’ve only played 19 contests.

This has led to a lot of experimenting from Kenny Atkinson, so we really don’t have a true reading on what this team can be in 2025-26.

On the plus side, some players who probably wouldn’t have seen the court this season have emerged as possible rotation players for this team as the season progresses.

Most notably, we are talking about Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who Atkinson said the other night is a guy he has a hard time taking him off the floor. The 25-year-old is averaging 7.1 points and 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 on the offensive end and at 6’8″, has played at guard and both forward spots.

When everyone gets healthy, we would like to see Tomlin replace Dean Wade in the rotation to see if the rookie can continue to produce like this once word gets around the league. If he doesn’t, we think you can always go back to Wade and he will be, well Dean Wade.

Craig Porter Jr. has done well too, and although we would like to see a better handle from Porter, the one thing he can do is create his own short, which is in short supply with the Cavs.

Porter is scoring at 5.8 per game, getting 2.9 boards and 2.5 assists per contest with 44.8% shooting from the three-point line. He should also keep getting time when the roster is whole.

And second year player Jaylon Tyson has earned his spot, mostly by being a defensive force, and unlike Isaac Okoro, has to be respected by the opposition when it comes to his shot. He’s scoring 11.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game and is in the top ten in the league in shooting from three.

Conversely, Atkinson and the staff have to figure out why Mobley seems to be in a funk. Right now, he seems very passive when on the court. It could be because of using him differently offensively. He seems to be on the perimeter more often this year, rather than be at the elbow where he can attack the basket easier and also be a distributor.

However, we have concerns about Mobley’s aggressive nature. One comparison for him when he came into the league was Kevin Garnett, but their personalities seem so different, and frankly the Cavs could use Mobley to have more of Garnett’s mindset.

But can someone develop having that? Mobley looks to be a pretty quiet guy, can he adopt an alpha mindset? It’s one thing to have size, something we have advocated for, and certainly the team is bigger.

It still seems to lack toughness, particularly from the bigger players. We have no qualms about Mitchell’s will to win, but it would be great if one of the bigs adopted a “take no crap” philosophy.

That’s a real concern, particularly as the playoffs get nearer. That’s still the biggest question from our perspective.

Cavs Winning While Testing Things Out.

Do you want to know how you can tell the Cleveland Cavaliers are a real good basketball team? It’s because they haven’t played very well to date and yet they have a 10-6 record after the first five weeks of the NBA season.

There have been a lot of injuries for sure. Max Strus hasn’t played yet and like won’t until the middle of December at the earliest. Darius Garland has played in only three games. Sam Merrill has missed time. De’Andre Hunter has missed three contests. Jaylon Tyson has been out the last four games in concussion protocol.

So, there hasn’t been very much continuity for Kenny Atkinson, yet this team is so good, they still have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

Frankly, we are fine with this. We have been saying since training camp started, we would be happy if the wine and gold got off to a slower start and approached the playoffs playing their best basketball.

Last year, Cleveland relied on the three point shot quite a bit and it worked. They took 45.7% of their field goals from behind the arc and converted on 38.3% of those long range tries.

This season, they are taking even more threes (49.1%) but making less at 34.9%. In watching the games, we don’t see enough of what analyst Brad Daugherty talks about, which is playing inside out, meaning getting the ball in the paint or in a post-up situation and then kicking out to a wide-open shooter.

One of the things about last season’s squad was the guys who took the most 3s also shot at a very good percentage. The leaders in three-points attempts last year were: Donovan Mitchell (36.8%), Darius Garland (40.1%), Sam Merrill (37.2%), Strus (38.6%) and Ty Jerome (43.9%).

The league average was 36% and all five of the players taking the most long distance shots for Cleveland a year ago were above league average.

This year, the league wide percentage is about the same (35.8%).

And two of the top five shot takers from beyond the arc, Hunter (31%) and Lonzo Ball (31.3%) are well below the league average. Both are historically better than that. Hunter has made 36.9% for his career, while Ball has knocked them down at a 36.1% clip.

So perhaps those two should take the ball to the hoop a little more until they regain their touch from long range.

Much has been made about the lack of minutes for Jarrett Allen in the fourth quarter of games, but at this point in the season, we chalk that up to experimentation by the coaching staff. Allen is still a solid defender and good rebounder, and that’s greatly needed if you have a lead down the stretch.

If you haven’t noticed, the NBA is getting longer and having more size, particularly on the wings will be even more important. We have talked about the Cavs not having enough size for a few years now. That’s why we are happy to see Nae’Qwan Tomlin have some success.

He’s 6’10” and very active on the glass, particularly on the offensive end. And having Tyson and Ball, both at 6’6″ adds some size to the backcourt when needed. Think about it, without the injuries, does Tomlin get any playing time?

But having Garland’s shooting is also important for offensive spacing. Perhaps in the playoffs it will be like baseball. Get the lead and then bring in the defenders.

We haven’t moved off of our belief that this is the time for the Cavs to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s a good thing they are able to do that and still win more often than not.

Garland Helps The Offense For Sure, But…

The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally getting healthy. Friday night against the lowly Washington Wizards, coach Kenny Atkinson was finally able to put the starting lineup he projected over the summer on the floor.

Darius Garland figured to be out until the middle or end of November, but he made his first appearance of the season on Wednesday against Philadelphia. The offense immediately looked a lot better, as the Cavs have scored 132 and 148 points in his first two games back.

And that would figure because Garland is a terrific offensive player and can penetrate and dish very well. Adding someone who scored 20.6 points and doled out 6.7 assists last season should make the offense look better.

After Garland’s debut, all of the people who cover the Cavs were reporting how much better the ball movement and shooting was with Garland back. And it was. However, Sam Merrill, who missed three games and is shooting the three pointer at an outrageous rate so far this season (26 of 45,.578), was also back and shooting like that helps as well.

The pundits said it showed Garland’s importance to the team, and indeed he is important.

However, one of the things we are concerned with and some people who cover the NBA are also, is the size of the Cavs’ backcourt. Remember, and we have said this both last year and this season, what Cleveland does in the regular season is not that important for this group.

It’s what happens in the playoffs.

While Garland contributes a lot to the team, our question is simply this: Would a bigger, taller version of Garland help the offense more? And we continue to say it would. And that’s not a rap on the player. It would also be beneficial to the team if Donovan Mitchell were 6’5″ and not 6’3″. But he isn’t and that’s kind of the issue.

And although it’s one game, we saw some the issues that you can’t have in the playoffs. For example, the Cavaliers had a 20-point lead heading into the fourth quarter against the Sixers and won by 11.

Atkinson mentioned after the win Friday night that this is a point of emphasis for him and the team, get a lead and build on it. Don’t let the opponent back in the contest.

They did that against Philadelphia, mostly because they had six of their 15 turnovers in the final quarter. Two were by Evan Mobley and two more from Garland. For his career in the post-season, Garland averages a half a turnover more per game than in the regular season.

No doubt, the reason the team traded for Lonzo Ball was to have a bigger guard who can handle the basketball, someone that Atkinson can pair with either Garland or Mitchell to provide some size but still have someone who has a plus handle.

Ball leads the team in assists despite missing two games and playing only about half the minutes in the games he does appear in.

If a trade doesn’t occur before the playoffs, Cleveland will need Garland for sure, but if the things that have plagued him in the post-season before, turnovers and opponents attacking his defensively, they now have Ball as an alternative.

What are we saying? Yes, Darius Garland is a good player. He’s made two All-Star teams. But remember, many basketball people worry the small backcourt is something the Cavs have to overcome. Can it work in the spring?

That’s still the biggest question surrounding the Cavs.

This Is A Different Season For Cavs. Don’t Jump To Conclusions Yet

The Cleveland Cavaliers open the home part of their schedule tonight against the Milwaukee Bucks, their only game at Rocket Arena out of their first five contests.

Already, there are complaints about the first two games for the wine and gold, and we base that on the football mentality that permeates throughout the area.

Folks, there are 80 more games to play.

Last year, the Cavs got off to a 15-0 start, one of the best starts in NBA history. Note the end of that last sentence. Teams don’t do that on a regular basis, and the Cavaliers weren’t going to do it again this season.

And frankly, we have said previously that we wanted Kenny Atkinson to do some experimenting with rotations in October and November, particularly getting good looks at some young players.

He has had to make some changes because Darius Garland, Max Strus will both miss significant time to open the year, and then De’Andre Hunter suffered a bruised knee in the last exhibition game. That’s three prominent players.

As a result, Sam Merrill has moved into the starting lineup along with second year player Jaylon Tyson, and guys like Craig Porter Jr. and perhaps Dean Wade are getting more playing time than normal.

Heck, even second-round pick Tyrese Proctor has played in both games, something we didn’t foresee happening before training camp starting.

Perhaps the biggest complaint has been about the usage of Donovan Mitchell, who have taken 40 shots in the first two games. Evan Mobley has taken the next most at 30.

We don’t Atkinson wants his team to rely on Mitchell so much and would like the shot numbers between his two best players to be much closer. By the way, Merrill has taken the third most shots, followed by Jarrett Allen and Larry Nance Jr.

Bet no one had Merrill and Nance in that group.

Mitchell’s usage would have been less had the Cavs not had questionable shot selection in the fourth quarter vs. Brooklyn. Cleveland had a 108-86 lead heading into the fourth quarter Friday night.

Then, they feel into the NBA trap. They made 9 of 11 threes in a 45 point third stanza. Early in the fourth, the long-range shot stopped falling, but the Cavs kept hoisting them, and perhaps had they taken the ball to the hoop when that happened, Mitchell and Mobley could’ve taken the last quarter off.

Merrill made 6 of 10 threes for the game but missed three of them in the fourth. Wade missed three more, as the wine and gold went 1 of 11 in the quarter as a team.

Again, it’s a different season, a different team, and it is way too soon to have any concern.

For this team to get where they want to go, the principal players have to be Mitchell and Mobley, and almost in a #1A and #1B role. Our only question is can Mobley demand the ball at times during the game. For example, last night, would he tell his teammates they need baskets and get me the ball in the paint.

But again, it’s just two games. We would guess Hunter will be back in the lineup tonight, and if so, it probably means less minutes for Wade, and either Porter or Proctor because Tyson can be used at guard.

Much like last season, when they were 15-0, this season is all about how the Cavs are playing in April and May.

Take a deep breath and keep that in mind.

Cavs Need To Show Progress, Like It Or Not

The Cleveland Cavaliers open their NBA season this week and it goes without saying this is their biggest season since LeBron James left via free agency following the 2017-18 campaign, the last of four straight Finals appearances.

This is Donovan Mitchell’s fourth season with the wine and gold, and each year the Cavs made the playoffs. The year prior to his arrival, Cleveland qualified for the play in tournament.

Each of the three years Mitchell has been here have ended in what is called a “gentleman’s sweep”, meaning a five-game series, and really, Cleveland hasn’t been competitive in any of the series in which they have been bounced from the tournament.

After being eliminated by Indiana in the second round last season, Mitchell told the media it wouldn’t matter if the Cavs went 82-0 this season. He’s right.

We said before Kenny Atkinson’s first year at the helm that for a team like Cleveland, the regular season didn’t matter, so while the 15-0 start was great, and so was the 16-game winning streak later in the season, the proof for how much this team improved would not come until the playoffs.

That’s why we would have reshaped the roster this summer. We could make a very solid argument that as currently constituted, the Cavaliers aren’t tough enough to win in the playoffs.

Yes, we know about the injuries. Darius Garland was hampered. Evan Mobley had a bad ankle. Mitchell’s calf and ankle weren’t 100%. But it’s the playoffs, every team is banged up at that point in the year.

Indiana used its size to force the Cleveland offense further away from the basket and they pressured the ball in the backcourt forcing the Cavs to use more time off the shot clock.

Team president Koby Altman did make some roster changes, but not to what the organization calls “the Core Four”, consisting of Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

We will find out this year if that gamble pays off.

Altman and GM Mike Gansey did bring in Lonzo Ball, a 6’6″ guard to provide the Cavs with some size in the backcourt. However, Ball has played just 35 games combined in the last three seasons, and 70 contests in the last four years.

If he can stay healthy, Ball can provide Atkinson with someone who can handle the ball and see over the top of the defense. They also signed Larry Nance Jr. to provide another big player and a very shot blocker.

The Cavs have gotten off to great starts the last three years and kind of faded a bit or at least weren’t playing their best with the playoffs came around. It would be better if the Cavs found out about some younger players early in the year, to see if they can help with late April and May come along.

With Garland and Max Strus missing time early in the year, last season’s first round pick, 6’6″ Jaylon Tyson should get a chance to claim some minutes. And Strus’ spot looks like it will go to De’Andre Hunter, who will provide more size to the starting lineup at 6’8″.

Barring some significant injuries, the Cavaliers will be in the playoffs at the end of this season. After winning 64 games last year, what really matters for this group is doing enough to qualify for the playoffs and going into the final month of the year playing their best basketball.

This team is good enough to get to the NBA Finals. Anything less than making the conference finals will likely result in a drastic roster shakeup next summer.

Atkinson and his team simply have to make progress. That’s what this season is all about.

Injuries Mean Opportunities For Some Young Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers announced they will be taking training camp on the road again this season, but they will have two holes in their starting lineup when it starts.

We know about Darius Garland’s toe surgery which will likely keep him out for at least a few weeks, and last week it was discovered that Max Strus will probably be out until December with a foot fracture.

How will Kenny Atkinson and his staff fill those openings when the regular season starts.

We have had issues about a lack of size at both guard spots and the small forward position for the Cavaliers over the past few seasons, and coincidentally, Garland and Strus man two of those spots.

So, it’s the perfect time to see if bigger will be better.

First, let’s look at the guard spot open with Garland’s injury. We would doubt Atkinson would want to start newcomer Lonzo Ball because they want to limit the veteran’s minutes because of his injury history.

That would leave Sam Merrill, second year player Jaylon Tyson, and Craig Porter Jr. as the likely candidates. Porter is more of a point guard, which would make him a natural fit opposite Donovan Mitchell, but we worry about his handle, and he’s still just 6’2″, so it doesn’t make the backcourt bigger all that much.

Merrill would provide shooting for sure and he’s 6’4″, and Tyson shows an all-around game we like and he’s 6’6″ but starting either of those players would involve putting the ball in Mitchell’s hands as the primary playmaker.

Mitchell’s minutes were down to 31.4 a year ago in the regular season, and he has assumed playmaking duties before with Garland out and the Cavs have flourished, so perhaps it’s not a bad way to go.

Either way, Tyson’s minutes should increase dramatically when the season opens.

And that’s because he’s also a candidate to absorb some minutes at small forward with Strus out. The easiest move for the coach would be to move De’Andre Hunter (6’8″) into the starting lineup, which would give the Cavs more size.

Think about a lineup with both Tyson and Hunter starting. It would give the Cavs a starting five measuring 6’3″, 6’6″, 6’8″ and a pair of 6’11” players in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.

That’s the kind of size most NBA teams take the court with.

Over the past few years, the Cavs have gotten off to great starts and faded a bit in the second half of the season, one theory we have on this is that other teams are experimenting a bit early in the season, especially with younger players.

Barring more injuries, we believe it is safe to assume the Cavaliers will be a playoff team in 2025-26, so they should use the beginning part of the year to see what Tyson can be, and also to see if Nae’Qwan Tomlin can be a rotation piece.

If they can contribute, it gives Atkinson another more depth on the roster and in the case of Tomlin, a 6’10” player with some range on his shot.

Sure, you might lose a few more games, but you also may get someone who can give you quality minutes down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Either way, it would be a win for the organization.

Tomlin And Tyson Are Summer Leaguers Who Might Help

The NBA Summer League is fun. You get to see the draftees from the most recent NBA Draft and many of the second-year players from the selections made in the prior year, most because those guys got most of their action in the G League during the 2024-25 season.

And it’s also good because unless your favorite team played in the NBA Finals, it has been a while since anyone wearing the uniform has seen time. For example, it was great to see players wearing the Cavaliers’ colors out there playing.

However, the brand of basketball being played more closely resembles a playground game than an NBA regular season contest, let alone a playoff game. The defensive intensity isn’t there and let’s face it, these players are looking to make a name for themselves, as most of them aren’t under contract.

On the other hand, we don’t get too excited about the players on floor during the Summer League because let’s face it, the Cavaliers are a real good team, we are sure no one has forgotten they did win 64 games this past year.

So, if came out of watching these games in Las Vegas thinking second round pick Tyrese Proctor is going to be an important piece for the 2025-26 edition of the Cavaliers, you are either extremely optimistic or a Cavs’ influencer.

Players taken 45th overall are probably not helping a team whose goal should be to win the NBA title.

We will say the performance of Nae’Qwan Tomlin was very promising and he should be given the opportunity to play early next season. Why? First, because he’s 6’10” and if you read this site regularly, you know we believe the wine and gold need to add players with some length.

Tomlin averaged 19.6 points and 8.2 rebounds in Las Vegas, and better yet, shot 33.3% from three. Kenny Atkinson can use a big man with some range from the perimeter, and at his height, the only players on the roster taller than him are Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley.

The Cavs have had better first halves the past three seasons than they’ve performed down the stretch, and we believe one reason is that other teams are looking at guys like Tomlin early in the year. Why not see in October and November if the big man can be a rotational player, rather than trying to see in March and April.

The other player in Vegas who could make an impact this season is second year wing Jaylon Tyson. He impressed us last year as an all-around talent, and in three games out west, he averaged 19.7 points, 6 rebounds and 6.7 assists. Again, does a bit of everything which we like.

With Ty Jerome and Isaac Okoro no longer on the roster and Lonzo Ball’s injury history, Tyson could be in Atkinson’s rotation at the beginning of the season. And if he can play some in the backcourt, that would be a plus because he’s 6’6″.

For a team in the Cavaliers’ position, players like Proctor and Cleveland State product Tristan Enaruma are right now organizational depth, and most of their playing time will come with the G League Cleveland Charge.

And that’s okay. Just don’t get crazy with expectations for them in ’25-’26.

Jarrett Allen? He’s Not The Problem With the Cavs

The postmortem on the Cleveland Cavaliers season and roster continues and one of the scapegoats seems to be Jarrett Allen. Yes, we know Allen wasn’t much of a factor in the last two losses to the Pacers. Frankly, no one was a factor in the blowout that was Game 4, and we agree he didn’t play well in the last contest.

However, he, along with Donovan Mitchell and Max Strus were the best players wearing wine and gold in the first three games of the series.

He had 12 points and 5 rebounds in the first game, 22 points and 12 boards in Game 2, and 19 points and 12 caroms in the Cavs’ only win of the series.

The criticism comes from those basketball “experts” who believe the only way you can win playing two big men is if one of them hoists a bunch of three pointers.

But Kenny Atkinson made it work in the regular season (yeah, we know) by using a lot of motion so the lane was clear for drives by the guards. That seemed to ebb as the season went on, and the Pacers took them out of that style completely with their constant ball pressure by their backcourt.

The real problem is that Koby Altman put together a roster with only two big men who can actually play and contribute. Allen was probably overexposed against the Pacers because their “five out” style takes Allen away from what he does best, being a rim protector.

And too often, Allen was tasked with guarding Tyrese Haliburton on the perimeter because of switching. He did not allow the Pacers’ star to drive, but did give up threes because, let’s face it, it’s a terrible match up for the 6’11” Allen.

But what was Atkinson to do?

He was pretty much using De’Andre Hunter as the back up 4/5, a spot that at 6’8″ he really isn’t big enough for. Dean Wade could’ve been an option, but offensively he seems afraid to shoot and when he does, it wasn’t going in. Besides, much like Hunter, Wade is really a small forward.

We had been saying all year the roster needed another 4/5 that could contribute and preferably get one who could shoot from outside. The Cavs had several chances to add a serviceable big man but used their open roster spots on Javonte Green and Chuma Okeke, both of whom are in the 6’5″ range.

Maybe Nae’Qwan Tomlin can become a contributor next season. He’s 6’10” and averaged 20.8 points and shot 34% from three in the G-League this past year.

Remember that comment about the lack of size on the roster. Because if you move Allen, you need to get another big in return. That’s not to say Allen is untouchable, anyone can be moved if it upgrades the roster. But as it currently stands, the Cavs have no depth up front.

So, while you criticize Allen for what he’s not, remember he’s a rim protector and a solid rebounder, things you need over the 82-game schedule. We like to look at what a player does well and try to enhance those things.

Jarrett Allen isn’t the Cavs’ biggest issue. Was he overexposed in the Pacers’ series? Perhaps. But isn’t the real problem that Atkinson had no alternative?

That’s something the front office needs to think about this summer as they put together the ’25-’26 edition of the Cavaliers.