The Cavs’ 2024-2025 NBA season is the most crucial since their 2018 finals run.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are no longer the young, up-and-coming team seeking to upset a more established franchise. They are now in year three of the Donovan Mitchell era. The ‘core four’ (Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, Allen) are all under contract for at least the next three years.
Kenny Atkinson marks the third coach since LeBron James left following the 2017-2018 season. The team has ranked in the top 10 for Defensive rating in the last three campaigns. The time to make some serious noise is now.
The juggernaut in Boston, who eliminated Cleveland in the most recent playoffs, stand in their way. The Cavs faithful can convince themselves that this was not a fair shot, as Donovan and Jarrett missed time with injury. If this upcoming season does not end in disaster, they will earn another opportunity to reclaim the Eastern Conference title.
There is more urgency to knock off the defending champs this time, as the Cleveland front office elected to run it back with an almost identical roster from the year prior.
Denver and Boston (the two previous champions) chose to make significant moves that eventually led to their title runs. Denver traded for KCP and signed Bruce Brown, while the Celtics traded for Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingus.
What this season could mean
Since an NBA season is unpredictable, the range of outcomes is wide. Injuries, suspensions, and chemistry can all change the result rather quickly.
Let’s start with the low-end logical outcomes:
10-7 seed – Expect a significant shift within the starting lineup. Looking at the Eastern Conference landscape, a play-in appearance would mean something was not clicking on the court. Considering the injuries that occurred last year, this team’s floor should at least be the sixth seed. With two all-star guards and two talented big men, the team is built to sustain success with health issues.
6-5 seed – This would be a tricky spot to find yourself in as Cleveland. You avoided the play-in but were passed by team(s) you finished above the previous year. Cleveland’s only tradable first is their 2031 pick. Expect this pick to be on the move since a more marginal improvement may be necessary to stay on the upward trajectory.
4-1 seed – This result should ease the mind of any Cavaliers fan. Maintaining or improving the seed from last year would mean this regular season was a success.
First-round exit – Roster expectations would be similar to a play-in appearance. Anything less than a second-round appearance would mean something is not working. Therefore, a major trade might be on the horizon.
Second-round exit – This would be another tricky situation. You won another first-round series but didn’t make significant progress regarding on-the-court success. This result shouldn’t worry fans but rather make them proud of the well-established floor.
Conference finals or better – The most desired results for every team. Making the conference finals showcases how close the team is, no matter the path. With how dominant Cleveland’s defense has been in the last few years, this would prove the Kenny Atkinson hire to be the punch the team needed offensively. Be on the lookout for the 2031 pick to be moved, but don’t expect any significant up-hauls.
Closing Thoughts
The Philadelphia 76ers made a significant move by acquiring Paul George. New York assembled the NovaKnicks. Orlando made their move by signing KCP. Cleveland, Miami, and Milwaukee are looking to enter the playoffs healthy.
The East runs through Boston, and many talented teams hope to take the crown. Cleveland will have to find themselves offensively after ranking 16th in offensive rating last season.
The organization decided to bank on continuity, health, and Kenny Atkinson as the factors for a more successful season. This decision will be a talking point throughout the year and something to monitor as the season progresses.
Hopes should be high as Cleveland enters a pivotal season where anything less than a second-round exit could spell a major roster change for an organization that has committed a ton of money to a young core.
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