At this point, the Cavaliers don’t look like a team that’s merely waiting on answers. They look like a team still searching for the right questions.
Cleveland entered the season as one of the favorites in the East. Twenty-nine games in, the Cavs are 15-14, wobbling near the play-in line and drawing quiet curiosity from around the league.
“There are teams around the league saying, ‘Hey Cavs, what’s your appetite for breaking this up?’” Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com said recently.
Injuries are part of the story, but they don’t explain everything. Evan Mobley is sidelined for at least a few more weeks with a calf strain. Max Strus and Sam Merrill remain out. Donovan Mitchell missed Friday’s loss to the Bulls.
Still, even when Cleveland has had pieces back, the product hasn’t resembled last year’s 64-win group.
Mitchell continues to do his part, averaging more than 30 points and carrying the offense most nights. Without him, the drop-off is obvious. With him, the margin for error still feels razor thin.
Mobley, when healthy, has been productive but not transformative offensively. At 24, he’s still a cornerstone, but his absence only magnifies how dependent the Cavs are on Mitchell to steady everything.
Darius Garland’s return has been uneven, though better lately. That includes a 35-point outing Friday against Chicago.
Meanwhile, Jarrett Allen has been solid but quiet. De’Andre Hunter’s role is unsettled. The Core Four has rarely shared the floor, and when it has, the fit hasn’t screamed inevitability.
Cleveland may not be ready to break anything up. But the calls are coming. And until the Cavs start stacking wins, they probably won’t stop.
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What is Gilbert thinking about doing, Sam?
Sparking discussions for certain players to be traded?
Or announcing potential vacancy before making front office changes himself?
We know little about the internal chemistry of the Cavaliers. How locked together are Altman and Atkinson? Is there a chance one could be gone and not the other?
To win now, Cavs roster needs better / more player leadership. If we could get a guy at Mitchell’s talent level, so that he’s not always the bail out guy (inefficient). I think having the second dimension of a true go to guy and strong voice could enhance everybody else, instead of leaving them watching DMitch hero ball (or not) in crunch time.
Side question.. Did Cavs ever hire an Ott replacement to assist the coaching staff?