Brian Scalabrine Delivers Brutal Truth To Cavs After Eastern Conference Finals Collapse To Knicks originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The New York Knicks completed a sweep of the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals on Monday. Brian Scalabrine, a former Boston Celtics player and now a TV analyst, suggested that Cleveland still has a long way to go before it can compete for a championship.
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“I just can’t imagine they are anywhere near a championship,” Scalabrine said Thursday on “Run It Back”. “Plus, they have a higher payroll than anyone else in the NBA, and they don’t have the IT factor.”
It might seem harsh to say that a team that reached the conference finals is nowhere near winning a title, but that’s the reality for the Cavs. Cleveland had a somewhat easier path to the conference finals this season, facing the Toronto Raptors in the first round without their starting point guard Immanuel Quickley, and then meeting the Detroit Pistons in the second round. The Pistons lacked any significant scorers besides Cade Cunningham, and both series went to seven games.
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The Cavs need to make some roster changes after the Knicks dominated them in three of four games. In the one close game, Cleveland squandered a 22-point lead with just a few minutes remaining.
If the Cavaliers can pull off a few significant roster moves this offseason, like potentially trading forward Evan Mobley for Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, they could emerge as serious contenders for the title next season.
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