There was this feeling that the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2024-2025 NBA campaign began with a bang and ended with a whimper. The Cavs had the best record in the Eastern Conference and made it to their third consecutive NBA postseason, enjoying sustained success not seen since LeBron James was still with the team. 

Sweeping the Miami Heat was supposed to be the prelude to a dominant run, but it turned out to be the high point for them in the playoffs as the Indiana Pacers treated them as another stop in their Cinderella run and ended theirs. 

On paper, Cleveland is a step above the rest on talent, as they have All-Stars in both their frontcourt and backcourt. But for one reason or another, the Cavs seem to fall short. Injuries were certainly a factor as Darius Garland played in only five games in the last postseason, the last one of which was when Cleveland suffered a season-ending loss. 

However, the Cavs are more than just Garland and they have to balance the fine line between being led by superstars and being able to withstand the loss of their key players. The natural path forward was thus shoring up the team’s depth and signings of Sam Merrill and Larry Nance Jr., along with the trade for Lonzo Ball, address that. 

Merrill has been a steady shooter who has appeared in 71 games last season, while Nance Jr. makes a return to Cleveland and provides a steady stream of points and rebounds for a frontcourt that has had its fair share of injuries. Meanwhile, Ball gives the Cavs another playmaker, but much of it is contingent on his health. 

However, improvements will need to go beyond roster building. While they remained a stellar offensive unit, Cleveland’s efficiency saw a slight drop. Their 3-point shooting went down by two percentage points (36.3 percent from 38.3 percent), a decline that may not mean much on paper, but provides some indication that they were not immune to the defensive adjustments of their opponents. 

Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson must find ways for his team to adjust to the postseason, because not only do defenses take on a different approach, but the stakes are higher and so it’s  a different kind of pressure. Cleveland sweeping the Heat in the first round shows they can handle the pressure of the postseason, but doing so consistently is another matter altogether. 

Of course, not everything can be solved in the offseason and we will likely see the Cleveland Cavaliers get some work done in the regular season. Moreover, a midseason trade could shake things up for the Cavs, but in the long-run it could be the catalyst that could make them legit title contenders. 

Besides, the bitter taste of the same disappointing outcome should make them push for a change, especially since the Eastern Conference is wide open.