After leading the Eastern Conference last regular season with 64 wins, the Cleveland Cavaliers are still recovering from injuries caused during the postseason and offseason.

Darius Garland is playing through a lingering toe injury that required surgery over the summer. While Garland has flashed his greatness in the midst of his recovery, his overall production and quickness have been noticeably lesser. Through nine games played, the two-time All-Star is averaging 14 points and 6.2 assists on a career-low 35.3 field goal percentage.

Max Strus is still sidelined with another offseason surgery. He has been joined by a rotating group of injured players including Sam Merrill, Jarrett Allen and Jaylon Tyson. The Cavaliers are not physically ready for the season yet, and there’s no signs of that changing soon.

Last week, NBA reporter Tim Bontemps gave a cold but true take on the Cavaliers’ struggles on an episode of The Hoop Collective. As co-host Brian Windhorst laid out how much Garland has struggled to handle bigger defenders this season, Bontemps broke down Cleveland’s realistic expectations this season.

“I don’t think we can really expect the Cavs to stop dealing with injury issues… I think the safe assumption is the Cavs are going to be continuing to deal with guys being in and out of the lineup, or just out… Right now, the Cavs are seventh in the East with Donovan Mitchell playing like this and with a ton of injuries. I think it’s fair to start to wonder. Again, we’re a quarter of the way into the season. Is this going to be a year where the Cavs are somewhere in the five, to maybe even Play-In range, in the East?”

Tim Bontemps

As uncomfortable of a prospect as it is, Bontemps is probably right. The Cavs already are facing the truth that Garland’s injury recovery is likely going to last all season. Without a healthy backcourt, Cleveland’s chances to maintain conference dominance quickly vanishes.

Cleveland is not going to be the top seed in the conference by the final buzzer of game 82. With the Detroit Pistons’ sudden rise to the top and other rival contenders holding onto a better start to the season, the Cavs need to shift their focus to proving themselves on the stage where they have yet to do it.

The Cavaliers need to make the Playoffs their primary focus already

The Cavaliers may have almost 60 games left in the regular season, but Bontemps’ take is obvious. The regular season is not going to go in Cleveland’s favor, but that doesn’t stop them from a deep playoff run.

In each of the Cavs’ last three postseason appearances, their own inadequacies have been what eliminated them from contention. Cleveland’s poor offensive rebounding, offensive lapses and physical timidity will only be overcome by embracing the brutality of the postseason. Rather than hoping to get healthy overnight for a regular season run, the Cavs need to keep the same focus they have had with Lonzo Ball for the entire team.

Be healthy for the Playoffs and ignore any regular season struggles.

In the first 25 games of the season, the Cavaliers have the 10th-best offensive rating (115.9) and the eighth-best defensive rating (113). Even with injuries holding the team back, the Cavs are still one of the better analytical teams in the league. If Cleveland can hit their stride in time to gear up for the Playoffs, the Cavs can recover.

The regular season is going to be hard to watch the rest of the way. At this point, the Cavs’ dreams of reclaiming the top seed should be in the rearview mirror.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have Finals aspirations. Last year proved the regular season means next to nothing if the team cannot handle the postseason. This season, Cleveland has no option but to play with grit and determination in the face of every potential adversity. Their final standing in the Eastern Conference only matters as much as they allow it to matter.