CLEVELAND, Ohio – What should the Cavs do?
I was thinking about that while watching Indiana ambush OKC 111-110 in the opening round of the NBA playoffs.
Heading into Game 2 of the Finals, Indiana has a 13-4 record in the playoffs. They were 34-14 after January 1 in the regular season. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton has made four shots in the final 1.3 seconds in the playoffs to either give his team the lead or tie the score.
The temptation for the Cavs is to say, “It’s just Indiana’s year.”
That’s true, even if the Pacers end up losing this series to OKC.
But what about the Cavs?
Knicks lose Game 6 to Pacers
Taking New York to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years wasn't enough to save Tom Thibobeau's job.Michael Conroy
Part One: What not to do
The Cavs certainly don’t need to follow the lead of the Knicks, who fired Coach Tom Thibodeau after he lost to Indiana in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. I’m with Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle, who said he thought “it was one of those fake A-I things” when first hearing the news of Thibodeau’s dismissal.
The Knicks had reached the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. Thibodeau took New York to the playoffs four times in his five seasons. The Knicks had not even been to the playoffs in the previous seven years before the veteran coach arrived.
You can argue that Thibodeau is “old school.” He plays his starters too much and doesn’t develop a bench. Some of that is true. But what about results? Don’t they matter? Does anyone really believe New York is a better team than Indiana?
Does it make sense to fire Thibodeau who kept improving the team in his five seasons? In New York, they have little respect for the Pacers and have a hard time accepting how they blew some big leads in the Indiana series.
FYI: Indiana has won five playoffs games where they were behind by at least 15 points, including Game 1 of The Finals.
Cavs president Altman will try to pull a championship from stone: Crowquill
Illustration by Ted Crow for Crowquill. The Cavs and Koby Altman need to figure out how to pull the NBA Finals sword from the stone.Ted Crow
What the Cavs did
Coach J.B. Bickerstaff was fired after losing to Boston in five games in the second round of the 2024 playoffs. I was against the firing, but I understood it. The Cavs front office wanted to see how the team would perform with a new coach and different vision.
I also believe they had Kenny Atkinson in mind as a replacement even before the final decision was made to dismiss Bickerstaff. I liked Atkinson based on his work as Brooklyn’s head coach, and what I heard from people such as Mike Fratello. The former Cavs coach had Atkinson on his staff when he was the head coach of the Ukraine national team.
In other words, I was an Atkinson advocate even before he was hired.
Here’s what Atkinson was hired to do:
1. “Unlock Evan Mobley,” as Cavs President Koby Altman said several times. Help the talented 7-footer become more of a force on offense. Mobley became a first-time All-Star and the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
2. Create more ball and player movement. The Cavs also wanted to see if Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell (both ball-dominating guards) could thrive together. In the regular season, they did … and both were All-Stars.
3. Develop a bench. The Cavs went from playing their bench the 17th most minutes in 2023-24 to fourth in 2024-25. Ty Jerome and DeAndre Hunter (acquired at mid-season) were among the NBA’s most effective scorers off the bench.
4. Play the starters fewer minutes. Mitchell, Garland and Mobley all averaged the fewest minutes per game in their careers.
5. Playing the starters less led to fewer regular season injuries. They also had a 64-18 record, best in the Eastern Conference.
WHAT HAPPENED: Atkinson did everything he was asked to do. Yet, injuries hit in the second round of the playoffs and they lost in five games – just as what happened with the Cavs in the 2024 playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Miami Heat in game 1 of the NBA Playoffs, April 20, 2025
In the last three seasons, the Cavs have a 163-73 record over the last three regular seasons. John Kuntz, cleveland.com
THE CAVS SITUATION
The only significant change the Cavs made after the 2024 playoffs was replacing Bickerstaff with Atkinson.
Atkinson became the NBA’s Coach of the Year. Bickerstaff was the runner-up after leading Detroit to its first playoff appearance in six years … and first playoff victory in 17 years.
This is not about coaching, although Atkinson plans to make some adjustments.
As the Cavs 2024-25 season is evaluated, don’t forget that President Koby Altman and GM Mike Gansey have assembled a talented roster of good guys who committed to play in Cleveland. In the last three seasons, they have a 163-73 record. They have gone to the second round twice. They have put a winning and entertaining team on the court.
The franchise is in very good shape, the key players (Jarrett Allen, Garland, Mobley and Mitchell) are between the ages of 23 and 28. They are all under long-term contracts.
Consider the following:
1. No more super teams: Regardless of who wins the title this season, the NBA will have it’s sixth different champion in the last six years.
2. Variety: In the last six years, 10 different teams have reached the NBA Finals. The only repeaters are Miami and Boston.
3. Follow the money: Between the NBA’s salary cap and the looming “second apron” that will restrict big-spending teams from making certain trades, this trend of different champions should continue.
4. Once upon a time: From 2007-2020, LeBron James took three different teams to the NBA Finals 10 times in 14 years. Those days are over. The last back-to-back title winner was Golden State (2017-18-19), winning three titles in a row.
BIG PICTURE: The door is open for the Cavs, whose roster remains in the sweet spot in terms of age and contracts. But the salary cap/second apron will limit some big roster moves.
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. LA Clippers, March 30, 2025
Jarrett Allen ranks only No. 5 on Cavs payroll list for 2025-26.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com
Part Two: What not do do
Some fans and media people want to trade Allen. He’s mentioned as part of the Core Four with Mobley, Garland and Mitchell. Those three are on maximum contracts.
Follow the money when it comes to the 2025-26 payroll:
Mitchell: $46 million.
Mobley: $46 million.
Garland: $39 million.
De’Andre Hunter: $23 million.
Allen: $20 million.
That’s right, Hunter (coming off the bench) will make more money than Allen next season. Allen ranked the 85th highest paid player in the NBA in 2024-25. He’ll be much lower than that in 2025-26.
It’s hard to find a player of Allen’s caliber for that price. Allen is such a team guy, they can create a role for him as a big man coming off the bench. Former Cavs Coach Lenny Wilkens did that with 6-foot-11 John “Hot Rod” Williams in the early 1990s and it was effective.
Some Cavs fans love to claim Allen disappears in the playoffs. Yes, he’s had some bad games. But let’s be fair:
1. Allen has played 18 postseason games for the Cavs, averaging 13.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and shooting 68%.
2. In Allen’s 4 ½ regular seasons with the Cavs, he’s averaged 14.7 points, 10.1 rebounds and shot 67%.
REMEMBER: All is one of the most unselfish and underrated players on the team.
Kenny Atkinson and Cavs have playoff gap to fix: Crowquill
Illustration by Ted Crow for Crowquill. For all the Cavs progress this season, they still have a way to go to be suucacessful in the playoffs.Ted Crow
What Cavs should do
The problem with simply bringing back nearly the entire team (as they did last season) creates a destructive regular season narrative. The same guys doing the same thing – even if they win a lot – will still hear, “Nothing matters until the playoffs.”
That will still hang over the team even if a significant move is made. But doing nothing would be a mistake.
I’ve not been a fan of the Cavs having the small backcourt with Garland and Mitchell. The Cavs should look at options for trading Garland. That said, Garland had the best regular season of his career under Atkinson. He’s only 25 and a 2-time All-Star.
Perhaps Garland will become physically stronger and be healthy come playoff time. That has not been the case in the last two years. Add in his maximum contract ($127 million over the next three seasons) and it’s possible his market value may not be as high as perhaps the Cavs would hope.
At the very least, the Cavs need to make some type of move – even if it’s a “lesser deal.” Perhaps something like when they traded Caris LeVert and Georges Niang for Hunter at the 2025 trade deadline.
Atkinson and his coaching staff have plans to work individually with players in the off-season and carry that into training camp. For the coaches, “internal improvement” is Job One right now.
But the front office has to examine the roster. In the past, the Cavs have been creative and savvy in terms of adding talent. They need to do it again.
Hear me talk:
I’ll be at the Avon Lake Library on June 25 at 6:30 p.m. It’s free. I’ll take questions, meet fans and sign books.