Cleveland Cavaliers: Debunking 3 myths of a ‘failed’ season

Cleveland Cavaliers’ myth: The rebuild has no direction

One of the most common criticisms of the Cleveland Cavaliers is that Koby Altman has failed in giving this rebuild a proper direction. While yes, even I agreed with this take in the past, it is growing increasingly clear which way the team is going — and there isn’t a much better alternative.

You can argue and complain about Collin Sexton and Darius Garland all you want. The fact is, the Cavaliers don’t have anyone better and they might not anytime soon. If your approach to rebuilding is simply cutting or trading everyone who isn’t a bonafide superstar from day one… well, you’re going to be rebuilding for quite some time.

The Cavs have something in Sexton and Garland. Exactly what they have is uncertain. However, the two have grown noticeably stronger this season and will only get better if their supporting cast improves as well. Surrounding SexLand with versatile defenders and more shooters is the direction the Cavaliers must take.

The good news is, Cleveland has already taken multiple steps towards doing this. Okoro is (hopefully) the first of many wings to join the roster. Jarrett Allen is a 23-year-old center who can anchor the Cavaliers defensively for years to come and Taurean Prince was a worthy 3-and-D addition. Even Dean Wade, a player who may only ever play a small role off the bench, is a step in the right direction for this team in terms of adding complementary firepower.

Cleveland would be doing themselves no favors by wiping away the last few years of development and starting with a clean slate. There is no sense in giving up on any of their young players at this stage. Instead, they need to focus on building the best possible team around their core.

The idea of this being a ‘failed’ season implies the Cavaliers didn’t meet expectations. For a team who finished dead last in the East last year — what exactly did you expect? The only realistic goal should have been competing for a Play-In berth, which they accomplished for a majority of the season in spite of nonstop injuries. It was only recently, when reaching the Play-In was out of the picture, that Cleveland began sky falling down the standings.

Even if it was only minimal, Cleveland showed growth this season. The 2021 NBA Draft could help accelerate this seemingly slow rebuild with names like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Jonathan Kuminga potentially acting as perfect glue guys to bring this core together. But, whatever the Cavaliers do in the offseason, it is clear they should be acting with the intention of building on what they already have, not tearing it down.