Over the last few years, despite immense success in the regular season, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ seasons have been defined by playoff shortcomings.
The teams that have success against the Cavaliers in the postseason have tall backcourts with long wingspans and athletic frontcourts with height and speed, i.e., the Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, and New York Knicks.
Teams that are built that way in the Eastern Conference have tormented the Cavs in the playoffs, preventing Cleveland from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. The New York Knicks eliminated the Cavaliers in 2023 and the Pacers in 2024 during the Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland era.
The question now becomes, how do they finally break through?
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Flipping the script and getting over the hump in the playoffs begins with making tweaks to the roster to set the team up for success.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ Offseason Moves
Cavaliers GM Mike Gansey and President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman added much-needed size in the backcourt to defend taller guards that have given Cleveland’s shorter backcourt trouble in the past.
Lonzo Ball is a great on-ball defender and floor general at the point guard position. Ball is listed at 6’6″ with a 6’9″ wingspan. The Cavs brought Ball to Cleveland in a trade with the Chicago Bulls, sending over Isaac Okoro, an offensively challenged wing that teams used to sag off from because of a lack of shooting.
In the front court, to become more rugged, the Cleveland Cavaliers added Thomas Bryant from the Pacers. Larry Nance Jr. was brought back, the son of former Cavalier Larry Nance Sr., to provide more frontcourt depth.
Tyrese Proctor was also added to bolster the backcourt in an effort to combat the opposing front lines of the Knicks and other contenders in the East.Â
The Cavaliers Need Home Court Advantage in the Playoffs
The Cavaliers are at a point where the regular season does not mean much. Everything they do now is judged by the postseason and getting past the second round, into the Eastern Conference Finals and beyond.
The Cavaliers are a team that needs to have everything come through Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The Cavaliers’ home crowd presents a raucous environment for road teams.
Having the advantage of playing at home more often than not, on top of opening series at home, will prove to be crucial.
Lineup Adjustments
Kenny Atkinson must come up with rotations that utilize the additions of Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr., and Thomas Bryant to combat Eastern Conference foes’ front lines.
Featuring the Cavs’ undersized backcourt against teams like the Pacers and Celtics makes for another second-round exit, which makes it even more important for Atkinson to incorporate Ball into the team’s backcourt rotation for defensive purposes, providing height and length to guard taller backcourts.
If Atkinson makes the proper tweaks to the Cavaliers’ rotations, it could be the difference between another second-round exit and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals and getting back to the NBA Finals.