Despite Recent Struggles, Cavs Are Sitting Just Fine

If you listen to the national media, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a nice story. They’ve had a great regular season, but many don’t think they can compete with the defending champion Boston Celtics.

Frankly, a lot of this conversation has come because the Cavs are just 6-5 in their last 11 contests, and their opponents have only been held under 110 points three times in those games.

After their 16-game winning streak ended just prior to a west coast trip, Kenny Atkinson said he would be trying some different combinations, mainly because they had a 7.5 game bulge over Boston in the East entering the trip.

We can’t find any flaw in that logic.

Watching the halftime show Wednesday on ESPN (yes, we know, that’s our fault), a casual fan would have thought the wine and gold were trying to get into the Play in Tournament, not have the second-best record in the NBA.

We are not saying the Cavs are a shoo-in to get to the conference finals, but they have been one of the best teams in the league since day one. We write that knowing what we have said all along, this season for Cleveland will be determined by how far they advance in the playoffs, and we also think the front office believes they can win the title.

There have always been strange trades in the NBA, and we like to talk about the comment Gregg Popovich had when the Lakers obtained Pau Gasol from Memphis. Popovich made a statement to the effect that it must be nice to give up nothing and get Gasol.

We might be saying the same thing about De’Andre Hunter at some point, because he seems to be the perfect piece for the Cavaliers.

In just under 25 minutes a game since his arrival, Hunter is scoring 14 points and grabbing 4 boards while shooting 43.7% from three. Most importantly, he gives Atkinson some length on the wing.

We would not be surprised if the Cleveland-Boston match up occurs with a trip to The Finals at stake, we see a lot of this combination on the floor: Donovan Mitchell, Ty Jerome, Hunter, Dean Wade, and either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley. That group has the length to give the Celtics some competition.

Still, the Cleveland player to watch most remains Darius Garland. The sixth-year guard is having perhaps the best shooting year of his career, making a career-high 47% from the floor, and his second-best year from three at 40.2%.

In his two playoff seasons, his shooting dropped 2% in both seasons. And he had turnover issues.

Let’s face it, in every playoff series, opponents hunt the weakest defensive player on the floor, and for the Cavs, most often it is Garland. He has to be at least decent on that end of the floor when the post-season starts.

We expect Atkinson to lean into what has been the Cavs’ advantage all year. They have depth, and we think the coach will play 10 until a player shows he’s not deserving of the time.

They will move the basketball, and when you do that, it makes it difficult to trap players in order to get the ball out of their hands. In essence, they will play their brand of the game and make the other team stop it.

The difference is we think Atkinson does a good job of adjusting and doing something else to counter the defense.

The playoffs start in about two weeks. We think part of the Cavs’ “struggles” have been because they are anticipating the post-season tournament.

For Okoro And Wade, Offense Is Key To Playoff PT

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.

Cavs In A Slump, Concerned? Yes. Worried? No.

For the first 4-1/2 months of the NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers lost 10 games. Last week, they lost four in a row. The losses are mitigated by the fact they had won the previous 16 games, so in the last 20 contests, they are 16-4, which is damn good.

However, a late season west coast trip and the playoffs are drawing near, it is likely a challenge to keep focused, and really, when it comes down to it, they need to be ready to go when the post-season starts.

Kenny Atkinson isn’t happy (nor are the players) with the four consecutive defeats, but he’s also admitted he is trying some different combinations with the post-season in mind.

The Cavs are in a shooting funk, particularly from distance. Here are their three point percentages by month, with attempts included:

October 41.1% 36.6 FGA
November 39.9% 38.3 FGA
December 41.4% 44.2 FGA
January 36.0% 42.8 FGA
February 40.7% 40.9 FGA
March 34.8% 42.5 FGA

Before this month, January was the worst shooting month for the Cavs, and coincidentally, it was their worst record at 10-5. So, we can definitely infer Cleveland’s success is based on shooting the ball well. That’s where the league gets its reputation as a “make or miss league”.

Donovan Mitchell is hitting just 18% of his threes this month compared to 37% for the entire season, and Darius Garland is making only 33% from beyond the arc, and is over 40% for the season.

Based on the fact of a smaller sample size, you have to think this is just a slump and both will get back to normalcy soon.

Mitchell is particular is tremendous taking the ball to the basket and perhaps should start with shorter shots and work his way out, but on the other hand, the most important thing for all of the Cavs is to remain healthy going into the playoffs.

During the 16 game winning streak, Cleveland gave up more than 120 points just four times, one during an overtime win over Portland. They have done it three times of the four losses.

Evan Mobley missed the first loss last Sunday and Garland missed the game in Sacramento. Isaac Okoro played just seven minutes in the loss to Orlando, and curiously De’Andre Hunter played only 20 and 22 minutes in two of the defeats.

The Cavs have two more games out west (today vs. Utah and Tuesday at Portland) before coming back home for the home stretch. They still have a five-game bulge over the Celtics for the top seed in the East, and with 12 games to play, they will likely have home court advantage for throughout the conference playoffs.

And we maintain, as we did during the 15-game streak to open the season, that nothing the Cavs accomplish during the regular season matters. We all knew this was a playoff team barring injuries.

What matters is how they will do in April and beyond. And they have plenty of time to right the ship in the last 12 contests.

It starts with breaking the losing streak, and that starts with picking up the defensive effort. It’s a long season and sometimes the players lose a bit of focus. That’s probably all it is.

But if they are the title contenders, we believe they are, they have to get back to playing the way they have all year. The players and coaching staff want the same thing.

Talking Leadership (Or Lack Of It) In Cleveland Sports

Leadership is a tricky thing. You can’t quantify it, and we know there are classes which teach it, it is really something you have to be comfortable with.

For the Cleveland Guardians, there is no question that Jose Ramirez is their leader on the field. Ramirez plays the game the right way and even though he’s had several top five MVP finishes, and is likely headed to Cooperstown, he still plays like he did when he was a rookie.

If you are a guy who doesn’t play much and you see Ramirez doing that, no doubt you will do the same, or you won’t be around long. Add in that he also talks to teammates during games, telling them what to look for and giving them tips on how to be better, and it is a perfect combination.

For the Cavaliers, Donovan Mitchell had a meeting with Kenny Atkinson before the season started and they discussed reducing his minutes and “workload”, thus empowering his teammates. Mitchell did just that and you see him during games encouraging and cajoling the other players.

That’s leadership.

On a team, no one has to step up and say he’s the leader. The other players know who it is. One thing we always say is a leader doesn’t have to say he’s the leader, in fact, someone who tells you they are the leader usually isn’t.

Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. We had an interesting discussion the other way with someone who didn’t like the Browns paying Myles Garrett what they did because he’s not a leader.

Our response was it would be nice if your best player was the leader, like in the case of the Guardians and Cavaliers, but it’s not a necessity. The Browns are paying Garrett because of his ability, the fact that every team has to gameplan for him. And that’s alright.

It’s an issue for the local football team because there is a serious leadership void throughout the organization. We have recently referenced the phrase “collaborative effort” when it comes to decision making. That approach does not foster leadership for anyone.

In the recent NFLPA poll, head coach Kevin Stefanski received a grade of C from the players. We don’t know how many players on the Browns responded to the poll, but a few people we have talked to said the grade could stem from none of the players knowing who is in charge.

Is it Stefanski and GM Andrew Berry? Is it Jimmy Haslam? Or even the mysterious Paul DePodesta? Who is the ultimate guy? Perhaps the players feel that void.

It was very telling that backup quarterback Jameis Winston spoke to the team before games. The starting QB didn’t have that gravitas.

Does the organization not want any vocal leaders? They don’t seem to have drafted any recently. Is that because Stefanski doesn’t want or like players like this.

Going back to the Guardians, Terry Francona always liked a veteran player in the clubhouse to echo what he wanted, so it was better coming from a fellow player. It was important to have Jason Giambi and Mike Napoli on the team for that reason.

The Browns haven’t had that. Yes, everyone in the locker room respects Nick Chubb for his work ethic and toughness, but he doesn’t seem like a vocal presence.

Filling the leadership void might be the biggest need the Browns need to address. It is just as important, if not more important than the measurables.

Cavs Refused To Lose In Win #15 Tuesday Night.

There are so many remarkable numbers associated with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. They are currently on a 15-game winning streak, their second such span of this season, and their third winning skein of 10 or more game during 2024-25.

They clinched the Central Division title (bet you forgot the NBA has divisions) and their magic number to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference is 10. And it’s only March 13th. The season has a month to go.

We have all read stories about how connected the roster is, the remarkable chemistry, and it is led by Donovan Mitchell and Kenny Atkinson. Mitchell sacrificed his numbers for the greater good, playing less minutes, which will hopefully lead to him and all of the Cavaliers being fresher come playoff time.

Winning is learned skill, and these members of the wine and gold have gained knowledge on how to win and they enjoy the feeling of winning.

We understood this about this team, but it was emphasized more during Tuesday’s 15th consecutive win over Brooklyn.

The Cavs were without Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter who was ill, and Ty Jerome who was being rested. As any fan knows, these are three key components to Cleveland’s success this season.

Brooklyn got off to a great start, shooting the ball very well from three-point range. Meanwhile, the wine and gold, normally an excellent three-point shooting team, was ice cold.

In the third quarter, Cleveland fell down by 16 points and it looked like one of those nights in the NBA where a lesser team gets hot, the better team isn’t making shots, and a very good team takes an L. It’s where the term “make or miss league” comes from.

And it would have been easy for the short-handed Cavaliers, with an eight-game lead over Boston in the East, to accept their fate and it wouldn’t have been the end of the world to lose that game.

But the defensive intensity turned up. Dean Wade is a good perimeter defender, but Sam Merrill was out there pestering the Nets’ ball handlers, forcing them to eat up the shot clock and leading to tough shots.

Brooklyn shot 50% (11 for 22) from beyond the arc in the first half, but they hit just 2 of 10 in the third, meanwhile Jarrett Allen scored 11 points and had seven boards in those 12 minutes. The Brooklyn lead, which was 13 at halftime, was trimmed to eight by the end of three.

It was now close enough for Darius Garland to control the fourth quarter, scoring 18 points and Isaac Okoro particularly was tremendous on the defensive end and Cleveland came from behind again.

Another thing on Okoro, we sometimes think the Cavs have limited him by making him a three and D player. He is capable of taking the ball to the basket and had two drives to the hoop in the 4th, including one which put the Cavs ahead.

Yes, the Cavs should’ve won this game. The Nets are 22-43. But sometimes, things aren’t going your way, and it is easy to write the game off. This group didn’t do that, and as usual, it was a collective effort.

Just another reason this team is special and enjoyable to watch.

Cavs’ Comparison To ’15 Hawks? What About ’15 Warriors?

Many of the national detractors of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season have used the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks as the comparison. Those Hawks were coming off of three consecutive first round losses and win totals of 38, 44, and 40 (in a strike shortened season) and exploded for a 60-22 season and the #1 seed in the East.

They were swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Cavaliers, who were in their first year of the return of LeBron James to the franchise.

We think those critics are overlooking the difference between the rosters. Yes, four Hawks made the All-Star Game that year, but Atlanta’s best players were Al Horford, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, and Jeff Teague, all of whom made the all-star squad.

Side note: Current Cavs’ assistant coach DeMarre Carroll was a starter on that team.

Mike Budenholzer’s team ranked 6th in offensive and 6th in defense, and their leading scorer was Millsap at 16.7 points, with Teague pitching in 15.9 and 7 assists. Millsap was the leading rebounder at 7.8.

Our question is there is another team from the same season that the Cavaliers have much more in common with. Why doesn’t anyone compare them to the 2015 Golden State Warriors?

The Warriors won 47 games in 2012-13 and 51 in 2013-14, and then changed coaches, firing Mark Jackson and hiring Steve Kerr. Cleveland won 51 games two years ago (same as Golden State) and 48 last season before changing from J.B. Bickerstaff to Kenny Atkinson as head coach.

And we think everyone should remember that Warriors’ team went on to win the NBA title, defeating the Cavaliers in six games.

That Warriors’ team led the league in field goal percentage and in three-point shooting. Cleveand is second in the former and leads in three-point percentage.

The Cavaliers currently have the best offense in the NBA and are 7th defensively. Golden State had the second-best offense and the best defense.

Both teams were guard oriented, the Warriors led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, Cleveland by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

The Warriors’ slogan in the period was “Strength In Numbers”, an ode to Kerr’s choice to keep everyone’s minutes down. Under Jackson, four players averaged over 30 minutes per game (Curry, Thompson, David Lee, and Andre Iguodala) with the starting backcourt both getting more than 35 minutes per night.

Kerr cut that duo’s time to about 32 minutes per night and Draymond Green was the only other Warrior getting more that 30 minutes per night.

Atkinson did pretty much the same thing with this year’s Cavaliers’ squad. Mitchell averaged 35 minutes last season, one of five players averaging over 30 minutes (Garland, Max Strus, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley).

This year’s group has just three, and Garland and Mobley are barely over the 30-minute threshold. Mitchell is down four minutes per game, and 12 Cavs average over 10 minutes a game, and number a little inflated because two of them, Caris LeVert and Georges Niang, were dealt during the season.

But they were replaced by De’Andre Hunter, so really, Atkinson is using an 11-man rotation.

By the way, that Warriors’ team went on to record a 67-15 regular season record, about the same pace as the 2024-25 Cavaliers.

That Hawks’ team was very good, but let’s face it, they didn’t have the star power of either the Warriors or the current Cavalier team.

We guess the deciding argument occurs in the playoffs. Golden State won a championship.

Good Win For Cavs, But With Reserved Joy

The Cleveland Cavaliers continued their remarkable run Friday night, overcoming a 22-point in the first quarter and coming back to beat the Boston Celtics, 123-116 in Beantown.

The win pretty much cements the wine and gold being the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference heading into the playoffs, extending the lead over the Celts to 7.5 games wit about 20 games remaining.

To play the game many play, if Cleveland goes just 12-11 in their remaining games, Boston will have to go 19-1 just to tie them.

It was a good win, especially after the green took the huge 25-3 lead to start the game, and we know fans particularly loved the comeback win after Jayson Tatum ran his mouth after the Cavs’ timeout that followed the onslaught.

However, Kenny Atkinson didn’t get too excited, pointing out Boston didn’t play two starters in Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis. Donovan Mitchell said the same in the locker room.

And to be fair, fans in northeast Ohio would be saying “yeah, but” if Boston had won with the Cavaliers not having Darius Garland and Evan Mobley available.

Look, it’s a great matchup. The Celtics, despite our dislike for them, are the defending champions and they are an excellent basketball team. Cleveland is having an unbelievable regular season, now at 49-10, and have won only one playoff series.

And Celtics’ coach Joe Mazzulla played it smart on Friday. There was no advantage for him to play the game with all hands-on deck. Boston won two of the first three games and Boston was only totally healthy in one game, the third one, which the Celtics won in Cleveland.

That doesn’t mean the Cavs can’t win the conference finals, though. Although Cleveland has been relatively healthy this season against Boston, this was their first time playing the Celtics with De’Andre Hunter, who played 29 minutes last night and was a +21.

Dean Wade (yes, we’ve been critical of him in the past) missed the first three games vs. Boston, and he is important because of his ability to guard the wing at 6’9″, played 19 minutes and was a +12.

We are sure Atkinson won’t alter his starting lineup if the two teams matchup in May, but we would bet we see a lot of Hunter and Wade on the floor together, and also Ty Jerome, who gives the coach some added size in the backcourt.

Remember, when you are playing the same team in a seven-game series, you have to match up, and a lineup of Mitchell or Garland, Jerome, Hunter, Wade, and either Mobley or Allen does compete with Boston in terms of size defensively.

We did think the Cavs were trying to match the Celtics’ hot three-point shooting early on, settling a bit when they should have attacked the basket more. That was a big reason for the huge early lead for the Celts. Cleveland was missing and that led to transition threes for the home team.

And one of these games, Darius Garland will hit some shots vs. Boston. He’s hitting 49.1% from the floor and 42.3% from three on the season, but against the Celtics this season, his stats are at 32.9% and 33.3%.

If he’s shooting close to normal, it’s a different Cavalier offense.

It was an important win for Cleveland because Boston was missing two starters, losing would have given the Celtics a mental advantage.

But the Cavs pulled it out with an epic comeback. The next time the two teams meet, it will be for higher stakes.

Love Cavs’ Season To Date, But Playoffs Will Tell The Story

As the Cleveland Cavaliers keep rolling along, with an NBA best record of 47-10, it is time to remind everyone what we said during their 15-game winning streak to start the season.

It is definitely sad, but the real season for this group starts when the regular season ends, and the playoffs begin. And that’s not being a Debbie Downer. It’s just that the Cavs won a playoff series a year ago, and when your regular season record is as good as Cleveland’s, championship aspirations in play.

That doesn’t mean we aren’t enjoying the regular season either. The style of play this team uses and the togetherness they exhibit make it very enjoyable to watch. For example, last Friday we were looking for a competitive game against the Knicks, and instead it was a 27-point lead on the way to a blowout win.

But we can look ahead because there is no playoff race to speak of. Cleveland is going to be there. In fact, Sunday’s win over Memphis meant the wine and gold have already clinched at least a spot in Adam Silver’s “play in tournament”.

And there are 25 games remaining.

The NBA playoffs are just different. In the regular season, teams rely on what they do well and sometimes it causes an issue against a singular opponent because their strength isn’t something you are good at defending and vice-versa.

But in the playoffs, you are playing the same opponent for perhaps seven consecutive games. And if you can identify a weakness on the other side of the floor, you attack it until the other team adjusts.

Most Cavs’ fans will remember how in the 2016 NBA Finals, the Cavs went after Stephen Curry on the defensive end, taking advantage of the Warriors’ switching on defense until Curry was on LeBron James and/or Kyrie Irving.

That’s the sort of thing we are talking about.

So, as marvelous as Darius Garland has been this season, shooting a career high 49.3% from the floor and 42.5% from three, and a turnover rate the lowest of his career, there will be a lot of pressure on him once the post-season begins.

He would be the first to admit he didn’t play well in either of the last two playoff seasons, and opponents hunted him on the defensive end as well. And we don’t know if he will be better until we see it on the floor.

We were discussing Isaac Okoro over the weekend and agreed he is a very good defensive player. However, opposing teams are going to leave him open in a playoff series until he proves he is willing to take and make shots on the perimeter, particularly three pointers. If he cannot, Kenny Atkinson will have to be very judicious with his minutes.

Again, this is not to be a pessimist, rather it is exciting to see if the Cavs have learned from the past two campaigns and will be better for it.

We want to see this version of Evan Mobley in a playoff series. The All-Star version of Mobley. He’s averaging three points more per game than a year ago, while still remaining one of the best defenders in the league.

It is important to keep winning in the regular season and stay ahead of Boston in the conference standings if only to make them play New York in the second round. And the Cavs do have a six-game lead there.

Regular season success is nice, but in the NBA, teams are measured by playoff performance. And we will have to wait six weeks for that.

Looking At Cavs Remaining Schedule

The pre-All Star weekend of the NBA schedule couldn’t have gone better for the Cleveland Cavaliers. They got off to a 15-0 start, and since then went 29-10, which isn’t shabby either.

They are sitting at 44-10, but after tonight’s game against the Brooklyn Nets, they will have some tests coming up.

Keep in mind, this is the time in the schedule, the weeks before and after the All-Star break, where sometimes teams go through a bit of a lull. The wine and gold avoided the pre-break blues, winning eight of nine to roar into their week off.

After the game tonight, the Cavs have two home games against title contenders who both sport 36-18 records, the Knicks and Grizzlies. This is followed by a pair of road games, first against Orlando, who took Cleveland to seven games in a first round series last year, and then another measuring stick game vs. the defending champion Celtics.

The Boston game will be Kenny Atkinson’s first opportunity to see how the addition of De’Andre Hunter works for the Cavs. The Celts have had a size advantage, especially on the wings, and no doubt Hunter was acquired with that in mind.

After this group of games, the Cavaliers’ schedule does soften a bit. The Heat is always a challenge and they visit on March 5th and they travel to Milwaukee on the 9th, and of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is always tough to defend.

There is also one more west coast swing remaining from March 18th through the 25th, and right now, the game leading off the trip against the Clippers might be the toughest one.

All in all, there are still three more against the Knicks left and that should be regarded as games to watch, two vs. the Clippers, and two vs. San Antonio and Victor Wembanyama.

Cleveland currently has a 5-1/2 game lead over Boston in the Eastern Conference with the Celtics having the tiebreaker right now as a result of winning two out of three this year. And as we said before, there is one more game next week.

The most important thing is obviously to be playing well and be healthy going into the post-season. But getting the #1 seed would be good in that the wine and gold would avoid the Celtics and/or Knicks until the conference finals.

And likely those two teams will have to face off in the second round as it stands right now. That is not to dismiss the Cavaliers’ opponent in the either of the first two rounds, but Cleveland would be heavily favored in both series.

The Cavs did another 6’5″ wing yesterday signing Javonte Green, who was bought out by New Orleans. They also added 6’10” Nae’Qwan Tomlin from the Charge yesterday, giving them another big man. No doubt though, Koby Altman and Mike Gansey are looking for a veteran big who can help down the stretch, and perhaps in the playoffs too.

The other thing to watch is how Hunter plays and how he fits with starting lineup or does he fit better coming off the bench.

It will be a long wait until the playoffs start in mid-April. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things to keep an eye on.

Yes, Cavs Have Chemistry. They Also Have a Unique Opportunity.

There is no question the Cleveland Cavaliers have tremendous chemistry. They seem to share the ball, enjoy playing with each other and the results have shown this. They are sitting at 40-9, the best record in the NBA.

Their best player, Donovan Mitchell has accepted playing less minutes and taking less shots in order to get more people involved, allowing more players to play significant minutes.

This has allowed the wine and gold to survive when players have missed time due to injuries. Isaac Okoro has played just 28 games, Dean Wade has missed 14, Caris LeVert 13. Yet the Cavs continue to roll losing three in a row just once this season.

They are 24-3 at home, 16-6 on the road. They are 26-6 against the Eastern Conference, 14-3 vs. the West. There are probably three or four teams that can win an NBA title this season, and Cleveland is one of them.

One of the things we have praised team president Koby Altman for is he has brought in all these players, and they all have good character. There isn’t a knucklehead or a diva on the roster. And in today’s NBA, that is truly remarkable.

We have heard many pundits say because of the success Cleveland has had this season; Altman should stand pat at this week’s trading deadline. And there is certainly some merit to that. Don’t make a move just to make a move.

On the other hand, because character has mattered so much to the organization, shouldn’t we trust the front office to avoid bringing in someone who will upset the chemistry?

Look, the Cavaliers are having a tremendous season. No one, not even the most ardent supporter of the wine and gold would have imagined the team being 40-9 at this point of the season.

And you don’t know if the Cavs will ever be in this situation again. They could run it back next year with the same group and not have this kind of record. That’s the reality of sports.

We don’t believe the Cavaliers will make a huge splash at the deadline, and they may even wait for the buyout market or perhaps scour the G-League for what they need, but they should be pursuing another big man. And we aren’t talking about a stretch four either.

We mean a legitimate post presence. Tristan Thompson has been a great teammate, but if either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley have to miss any time during the rest of this season, Kenny Atkinson is going to have a problem.

The issue is Thompson’s offensive game which is severely limited. He cannot do the things within the offense that Allen and Mobley can do. The Cavs need someone who has to be guarded by the opponents.

We’ve felt Cleveland needed more size on the wing as well, and they probably still do for the playoffs, but getting a playable big man should now be the higher need.

And if a trade is out there, surely the Cavs have depth. As we said, they’ve kind of played without Okoro this year, and perhaps Jaylon Tyson could take his minutes in a pinch. A season like this may not come around again.