The Cleveland Cavaliers are headed into 2024-25 with a familiar question trailing their All-NBA guard Donovan Mitchell: Will regular-season victories finally translate into a deep playoff run?
The backdrop
Cleveland compiled 64 wins last year, the best mark in the Eastern Conference. Mitchell finished fifth in MVP balloting, and forward Evan Mobley captured Defensive Player of the Year honors. Despite the accolades, the club fell in five games to the Indiana Pacers in the second round, mirroring Mitchell’s earlier experience in Utah, where the Jazz never advanced past Round 2 even after leading the league in 2020-21.
How last season unraveled
The Cavaliers opened 15-0, saw Kenny Atkinson earn Coach of the Year, and added DeAndre Hunter at the trade deadline. By playoff time, injuries mounted: Darius Garland was limited, Mobley and Hunter were hurt in Game 1, and Mitchell sprained an ankle in Game 4. Indiana capitalized, holding Cleveland’s offense in check and ending the series quickly.
Summer adjustments
The front office aimed for depth rather than splash. Isaac Okoro was sent to Chicago for Lonzo Ball, Sam Merrill re-signed, and Larry Nance Jr. returned on a minimum deal. Sportsbooks have set the Cavaliers’ win total at 56.5, second highest in the East.
Voices around the team
Optimists argue that health was the decisive factor against Indiana and believe Ball stabilizes the second unit, giving Cleveland an even stronger roster than last year’s 64-win group. Skeptics counter that the team has only eliminated two lottery-bound Florida clubs during Mitchell’s tenure and contend that another short playoff stay will intensify questions about the Mitchell-Garland backcourt and the Mobley-Jarrett Allen frontcourt.
Mitchell, now entering his fourth season in Cleveland, finds himself in an unchanged storyline: Until the Cavaliers deliver in May, regular-season milestones will remain secondary.
Source: Hoops Wire
