Is this the ceiling? Cavs’ demoralizing effort to end Game 3 forces hard questions

The Cleveland Cavaliers looked demoralized at the end of Game 3 against the New York Knicks on Saturday night. One of the final possessions in the game with less than two minutes left, the Cavs just stood around as if the game were already over. Sure they were mathematically going to lose that game, but you can’t let up on effort. This Cavs team needed to win back-to-back series in Game 7 just to reach the Eastern Conference Finals. All of that just to get swept in the ECF and look defeated before it’s even over? 

The Cavs had all the pressure to go on a deep playoff run this year and had to fight their way to the ECF. To get swept would be debilitating; doing it this way is worse. 

The Cleveland Cavaliers will learn a lot about future from Game 4

You could argue this series was lost when the Cavaliers imploded in Game 1. They blew a fourth quarter lead and haven’t recovered from that mentally. The fact that the New York Knicks aren’t just winning the physical but the mental too shows why the Cavs feel dejected. They’ve played every other day in this series after needing seven games to beat the Detroit Pistons. Fatigue is now a factor too, compared to their more rested opponents. 

A pivotal Game 3 isn’t the time to let fatigue dictate your effort. If that’s Cleveland’s attitude before the game’s officially over, fans shouldn’t have any belief the Cavs will force a seven-game series, let alone win one game over the Knicks. And if they go out like that, there are going to be a lot of questions about what the Cavs do next. 

Is Kenny Atkinson the right coach for this team? Does Donovan Mitchell get a lucrative extension? What about James Harden? All these questions will smack this franchise in the face if they get swept in these Eastern Conference Finals. 

ECF sweep could force Cleveland Cavaliers into premature Donovan Mitchell decision

Donovan Mitchell is due for an extension this summer. He is under contract through the 2027-28 season with a player option in that final year. If the Cavs get swept, the Cavs could look to move him this offseason rather than waiting or even extending him. According to Evan Sidery, the Heat could be looking at big moves in Mitchell or Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Cavs could get a massive return for Mitchell and kick-start the rebuild. 

Now moving on from Mitchell doesn’t mean tearing the whole roster apart. But it does mean a move needs to be made. James Harden will still be around and depending on the return of players you get from the Heat, having a Tyler Herro to pair with Harden isn’t a bad combination. With draft capital included, the Cavs can go hunting for their new star.   

Will the Cavs ever flourish in the post-LeBron James era?

The post-LeBron James era in Cleveland has been better than most expected – especially as quickly as it happened – but it’s also been kind of stagnant. The last three seasons have all ended in the second round of the playoffs. This year, they finally got to the ECF, just to get down 3-0. If they can’t get it done this year, does this become their new ceiling? Coming up just short? There’s an argument to be made that now that they’ve made it to the ECF, it could be that next step to getting to the Finals. 

It’s hard to look over getting swept. If the Cavs can find a way to get back into this series, maybe it’s worth seeing if this core is truly good enough to reach and win an NBA Finals. If they don’t make it to a Game 7, we might have to accept this is as good as this Cavs core will be. And the Cavs will have to accept maybe some big changes are necessary. 

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