All kinds of stories were written after the Cleveland Cavaliers were eliminated from the NBA playoffs Wednesday night, some of them were pretty easy to see truth in .
And it looks like everyone has decided that if Donovan Mitchell stays, the front office will be moving on from Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen.
We will come back to that. It’s also expected that J.B. Bickerstaff will not return as coach. We’ve been pretty transparent that although we don’t think Bickerstaff is a great “x’s and o’s” coach, we don’t hold him solely responsible for the early exit.
(NOTE: We don’t think the front office thinks it was an early exit, it was the GOAL).
However, there have been published reports that Bickerstaff’s job was on the line in December, and if you were thinking of replacing him that early in the year, you shouldn’t have brought him back after last season.
Now for the roster. We have been saying this for months, but if Mitchell signs an extension, the Cavs need to move on from Garland. They simply do not play well together. This is a problem for those who view basketball as a fantasy game, where statistics are just plugged in.
It isn’t. It doesn’t mean Garland is a terrible player and it doesn’t mean he won’t go somewhere else and be better. He just isn’t effective playing with Mitchell.
Also, we heard this debate: You’d be selling low on Garland. This cannot be a consideration. If you want the team to be better in 2024-25, you can’t run back the two under 6’3″ ball dominant guard starting backcourt.
The Cavaliers may move Garland for a normal sized (not 6’5″) small forward who fits better but doesn’t have the “numbers” of the player they are trading. That’s alright.
As for the Allen and Evan Mobley frontcourt, we would like to give the new coach a chance to make it work, especially since Cleveland needs size.
Mobley had a great series vs. Boston, but remember the Celtics were without Kristaps Porzingis, and were playing Al Horford and Luke Kornet at center, players Mobley is clearly more skilled than.
We also disagree Mobley needs to be a three-point shooter for the combo to work. We think a reliable 15-to-18-foot jumper shot would do the trick and allow both of the bigs to thrive.
Allen was the Cavs’ best player in the playoffs when he was injured and for the season, their second best behind Mitchell. Does anyone else think trading the squad’s second-best player in an effort to get better is a bad idea?
The difference is it is clear that the Mitchell/Garland pairing doesn’t bring out the best in either player, while we understand the NBA folks all think bigs have to shoot threes now, we don’t buy into that.
We think a different coach can make Allen and Mobley an effective center/power forward combination. Besides, if Mobley plays center, his biggest value of being able to defend away from the basket is taken away from him.
There is no question the Cavs need to get bigger. They need more size in the backcourt, on the wings, and can’t have only two effective players in the middle. Size matters.
We would like to see the organization give Luke Travers a spot next season. Remember him? He was a second-round pick in 2022 and is a 6’6″ do it all kind of player. In the Australian League, he scored 12 points, grabbed 7.6 boards and dished out two assists.
We know Summer League isn’t a true judge of anything, but he played well there the last two years. We think he could help next year.
And remember, the Cavs do have a first round pick this year. Hopefully, they take someone who can help right away.