Offseason Review:
Players introduced: Ricky Rubio, Laurie Markkanen, Taco Fall, Kevin Pangos, Mitch Baroque, RJ Nembuhad
Departing players: Jeremia Martin, Torrian Prince, Matthew DelaVedovar, Damien Dotson, Larry Nance Jr., Isaiah Haltenstein
Draft: Evan Mobley
Offseason Signing Evaluation:
Rubio's addition not only added depth to the guard lineline, enough to allow Bixtaugh to cope with a variety of situations throughout the season, but also brought in an experienced mentor for the Cavaliers' two young guards.
For a team with an average age of just 24, they desperately need a role as their stadium brain, especially after the league witnessed the success of the Phoenix Suns last season. This past season, the Cavaliers' backcourt positioning has become clearer, Garland has secured the starting position, and Sexton has played his super offensive aggressiveness in the quarterback position. So Rubio will most likely be Garland's bench next, and considering that the Cavaliers don't lack scoring points in other positions and Rubio's poor scoring efficiency last year, he just needs to focus on the offensive organization.
Another important reinforcement was the three-way deal to get Laurie Markkanen. After this operation, the Cavaliers' interior line is deep enough to make any team in the league look sideways, and they can even put up two sets of four- and five-position combinations at the starting level, of course, on the premise that Love can play in the new season in good health.
Although Markkanen's outside threats allowed him to appear in the third position (last season the Bulls totaled 125 minutes in the small forward position), the real challenge he needed to face was on the defensive end, and when lining up, he would try to avoid letting him hold the ball threatening players, such as when facing Durant, whose height of 2.13 meters made it difficult for him to keep up with KD's pace.
But eating Markkanen's four-year, $67 million contract also weakened the Cavaliers' flexibility in salary. Sexton is on the verge of a final year on his rookie contract, and if the two sides fail to reach an early renewal, he will become a restricted free agent next summer. Assuming Sexton's contract is a standard 5 percent increase per year, and the Cavaliers enforce team options for all rookies, Cleveland will have just $40 million of luxury tax triggers next summer to sign first-round picks, renew Sexton, and reinforce the lineup.
Lineup Predictions for the New Season:
Point guards: Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio, Kevin Pangos
Scoring guards: Colin Sexton, Dylan Wendler, Mitch Baroque, RJ Nembuhad, Broderick Thomas
Small forwards: Isaac Ocorro, Cheddy Osman, Lamar Stevens
Big forwards: Kevin Love, Laurie Markkanen, Miondu Kabengher, Dean Wade
Centre-forwards: Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Taco Fall
New Season Outlook:
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who won 22-50 last season, are unlikely to soar next season without heavy signings and personnel changes this summer. For cavaliers management and coaching staff, the primary goal of a season with no performance requirements is nothing more than two points – to develop new players and to cultivate a winning culture.
In this year's draft, Cleveland won the big Man Evan Mobley from the University of Southern California with the third pick in the first round. As a key target for the 2021-22 season, he will share the playing time in the big forward/center position with Jarrett Allen, Laurie Markkanen and Kevin Luck. But compared to Aaron, Mobli has a stronger ability to attack autonomously, while at the same time his agility is better than That of Markkanen and Lefour. It can be said that he and the other three big men have a good fit.
Of course, the Cavaliers management also hopes that Mobley can have a good chemistry reaction with his new teammates, and the most anticipated is the combination of Mobley and Garland. In an anonymous vote by league executives in Hoopshype, Darius Garland became the most promising player to complete a personal breakthrough in the new season.
In April, Garland had proven himself in possession of the ball, averaging 20.5 points and 7.3 assists per game in a single month, shooting 48 percent from the field and shooting 38.5 percent from three-point range. In the new season, his and the Cavaliers' internal group blocking tactics will bring great threats and tests to the opponent's defense. However, in the case of the same time as Sexton in the starting back, the distribution of the ball between the two is also an urgent problem to be solved, especially garland's performance when the two played at the same time last season.
The Cavaliers still have a few months to decide whether to extend Sexton's contract early. Sexton has grown into a good scorer over the past few years, but the question is whether Cleveland sees it as the cornerstone of the future. Because from the past period of time, the management has had a tentative inquiry, but in the end there was no deal. The cavaliers' wing depth is much weaker than a solid interior and backcourt line-up, and perhaps they hope to be able to make up for the lack of front line with Sexton's quality contract.
The Cavaliers also need to solve the kevin Love big contract. In the past three seasons, Luck has only played 103 games, and the double problems of both physical and psychological problems have plagued the former champion. He currently has two years left on his contract and will earn a team-high $31 million in annual salary for the new season. With the Knight having several large young men to develop, Love was in an almost identical situation as John Wall. The two sides could of course try to negotiate a buyout, but that would depend on how much of a salary Love is willing to sacrifice, and given his poor form last season, the Cavaliers should have a hard time dumping his big contract.
As mentioned earlier, if the Cleveland Cavaliers want to win in the future, they must first establish a winning culture within the team, whether it is the Spurs, Warriors or Lakers and Bucks, they have cultivated a benign team atmosphere before they become famous. But for the current Cavaliers, they first need to establish a locker room leader.
Source: NBA official website