Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 pivotal crossroads approaching
By Tony Pesta
The Cleveland Cavaliers are at an awkward stage in the rebuild and growing pains are imminent. Some tough decisions are approaching that will have the franchise journeying down drastically different paths.
Every rebuilding process goes through this phase. Crossroads become mandatory for everyone. At one point or another, after collecting so many young assets, a franchise needs to buckle down and select who is going to lead the charge, who will take a backseat and who will be traded altogether.
Once upon a time, the Golden State Warriors came to a crossroads when they had to choose between Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The backcourt couldn’t fit two ball-dominant guards, so they traded Ellis to Milwaukee for Andrew Bogut and stuck with Curry. It’s safe to say the Dubs made the right decision but let’s not ignore how close they came to punting away a future dynasty.
The Cleveland Cavaliers’ rebuild is reaching a breaking point and crucial decisions will need to be made sooner rather than later.
Around the same time, the Cleveland Cavaliers were facing a similar backcourt battle between Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving. While the majority leaned towards Irving and his dazzling ability to score the ball, he still faced quite a bit of criticism for not being a ‘true’ point guard in his first few seasons in the NBA. Obviously, we know which direction the Cavaliers ultimately chose in this particular situation.
As fate would have it, the Cavs are back in familiar territory with numerous crossroads approaching. In addition to the ongoing Collin Sexton/Darius Garland debate that has split Cavs’ Twitter into two halves — the upcoming NBA Draft, as well as supporting cast issues, all pose pivotal questions.
How the Cavaliers approach the NBA Draft, Sexton’s tenure and building the supporting cast is going to hold dramatic implications for the future of the franchise. It’s likely we look back at this stage of the rebuild and either wholeheartedly regret or overwhelmingly praise the decisions Koby Altman chooses to make.
Let’s take a look at the three major crossroads Cleveland is facing and gauge the potential risks of each decision.