It's difficult to believe that the Cleveland Cavaliers didn't make the playoffs last season, given at the All-Star break they had the third-best record in the East. They also had two players represent them at the All-Star Game in Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen, and a Rookie of the Year frontrunner in Evan Mobley. However, injuries began to set in during the second half of the season, most notably to Allen who missed the last month of the season. In the end, Cleveland lost in the play-in round, missing the postseason for the fourth straight season. However, there was potential bubbling just below the surface with the young core the team built that had a bright future ahead of it.
The Cavaliers could've very well ran it back for another season and made the playoffs without having to go through the play-in round. Instead, the Cavs chose to swing for the fences and won the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, a shocking move that no one could've predicted. Adding Mitchell to what was already an impressive young core immediately vaults Cleveland up the standings in the East, providing them with an elite offensive player capable of dropping 40 points in a playoff game. On paper, the Cavaliers have assembled an exciting roster that can make some noise in the East. But we'll have to see if this team can execute to prove they belong in the conversation with some of the top teams in the conference.
Ahead of the 2022-23 season, here's a quick breakdown of Cleveland's offseason, and a preview of some key storylines to watch for when their season tips off on Oct. 19.
Key changes
- Acquired Donovan Mitchell from the Jazz in exchange for Collin Sexton, Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, three unprotected first-round picks (2025, 2027, 2029), two pick swaps (2026, 2028)
- Signed Darius Garland to a contract extension
- Signed Ricky Rubio
- Signed Robin Lopez
- Signed Raul Neto
- Drafted Isaiah Mobley with the No. 49 pick
Roster
Player | Position | Age |
Jarrett Allen | Center | 24 |
Sharife Cooper | Guard | 21 |
Mamadi Diakite | Forward | 25 |
Khalifa Diop | Center | 20 |
Darius Garland | Guard | 22 |
Nate Hinton | Guard | 23 |
Caris LeVert | Guard | 28 |
Robin Lopez | Center | 34 |
Kevin Love | Forward | 34 |
Donovan Mitchell | Guard | 26 |
Evan Mobley | Center | 21 |
Isaiah Mobley | Forward | 23 |
RJ Nembhard Jr. | Guard | 23 |
Raul Neto | Guard | 30 |
Isaac Okoro | Forward | 21 |
Cedi Osman | Forward | 27 |
Jamorko Pickett | Forward | 24 |
Ricky Rubio | Guard | 31 |
Lamar Stevens | Forward | 25 |
Luke Travers | Guard | 21 |
Dean Wade | Forward | 25 |
Dylan Windler | Forward | 26 |
Top of the key: The Mitchell-Garland fit
First things first, the Cavaliers absolutely should've traded for Mitchell. You make that trade 100 times out of 100. While Cleveland had an impressive season last year, they were certainly missing a guy who could just score at will, and in a variety of ways. Mitchell can punish you from 3-point territory, he had the most efficient year of his career at the rim, ranking in the 81st percentile among guards in efficiency around the basket (65 percent). His mid-range game is also noteworthy. You slide Mitchell into a lineup that's returning two All-Stars in Garland and Allen, in addition to the Rookie of the Year runner-up in Mobley and you have a Cavs team that could go far in the East.
But with all the positives about the Mitchell trade, that doesn't mean it's absent of some valid concerns entering the season. For starters, adding the 6-foot-3 Mitchell to a backcourt that already features a 6-foot-2 Garland means the Cavaliers are going to be severely undersized on the defensive side of the ball. And while both guards are All-Stars on offense, they leave much to be desired on defense. While Allen and Mobley can make up for some deficiencies that the two guards have on defense, that's still a lot to ask of them. Especially when Cleveland gets to the playoffs and has to face a team like the Celtics, Nets or Sixers who all have multiple weapons to attack you with. You can assume Isaac Okoro will take the opposing team's best player on defense as he was Cleveland's best perimeter defender a season ago, but he alone can't guard everyone on the floor. Garland and Mitchell are going to get switch-hunted relentlessly and it'll be a problem the Cavs will have to figure out. Of course, the hope is that they can improve on defense, and that may very well happen, but when you're going against guys like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, it's going to be hard for the Cavs to hide both of their backcourt players on defense.
The defensive fit may not be a major problem until the playoffs, but a more immediate storyline that will play out over the course of the season is how the Cavaliers can find a balance between Garland and Mitchell on offense. Both are at their best when they have the ball in their hands, and while Garland has proven to be dangerous off-ball as a cutter and coming around off-ball screens to nail a jumper, that was a seldom-used part of his game last season. Garland has experience playing alongside high-usage guards (Collin Sexton, Ricky Rubio) to varying results, and where he and Mitchell fall on that spectrum will weigh heavily in Cleveland's success this season.
Next up: Mobley's development
Although Mobley didn't win Rookie of the Year last season, it was really a coin flip between him and winner Scottie Barnes. While he didn't walk away with the hardware, Mobley had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in recent memory, and it wasn't because of his offense, though his play on that end showed why the Cavs took him third overall in 2021. Out of the gates, Mobley raised eyebrows with how impactful he was on defense, something that rookies typically struggle with. Instead, along with Allen, they formed one of the most formidable frontcourt duos in the league, ranking in the 94th percentile in defensive efficiency whenever they shared the floor together. It wasn't just his tandem with Allen that was impressive about his defense, either. Despite his 7-0 lanky frame, Mobley proved to be athletic enough to keep up with guards on the perimeter, making him a versatile option to deploy in a variety of different lineups where he could play small forward all the way down to center.
It was a standout rookie year for Mobley, and he only began to scratch the surface of what he can do on both ends of the floor. So it's not surprising that in the annual GM survey that 21 percent of front office executives chose him to have a breakout season, the most of anyone in the league. Garland is also expecting big things from Mobley this year.
"He's on a mission right now," Garland said at media day. "He really wants to show the world what he can do and what they missed out on last year. He's coming in a lot hungrier, a lot stronger. He knows a lot more about the game this year than he did last year, so I am really excited to see his jump. Hopefully, four All-Stars as well."
Based on how fast Mobley started out of the gates last season, I can only imagine what he has in store for this year. He's expected to be sidelined for most of the preseason after the Cavaliers announced he sustained a right ankle sprain and would miss one to two weeks. But that timeline should have him back right before Cleveland opens its season at Toronto.
One more thing: Still room to improve the roster
You would think that after pulling off the Mitchell trade the Cavaliers wouldn't have anything else to offer in future trades that may materialize over the course of the season. Wrong. The Cavaliers still have Kevin Love, who despite being past his prime at this point, was still a key piece for Cleveland a season ago. He provided some much-needed veteran leadership for this young team, averaged 13.6 points and 7.2 rebounds on 39.2 percent from deep and finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting last season. The Cavaliers may not want to trade him because of the value he brings on the floor and in the locker room, but Love's also in the final year of his contract, and if he duplicates his production from last year, he could be traded for a quality rotation piece.
There's also Caris LeVert, who is still just 28 years old and can provide instant offense to any team in the league. Now that the Cavs have Mitchell, keeping LeVert seems redundant, so perhaps they use him in a trade to acquire 3-and-D specialist Jae Crowder from the Phoenix Suns, as he has grown unhappy in the Valley. It would give the Cavs an immediate upgrade at the small forward position, someone who can be relentless on defense and go knock down some 3s on the other end. Having the spacing that Crowder provides will be crucial for Cleveland, something they wouldn't have with Okoro in the starting lineup.
A Crowder deal may not be on the horizon, but the point is that Cleveland has a couple of guys they can use in trades to upgrade this roster on the margins, an option that is a necessity for any team trying to make a run in the playoffs.
Key games
Nov. 13 vs. Minnesota Timberwolves: We'll get to Mitchell and Rudy Gobert go head-to-head for the first time since these former teammates were traded by Utah last summer. Given the well-documented tension that existed between the two during their time playing together, all eyes will surely be watching to see if Mitchell tries to dunk on his former teammate.
Nov. 21 vs. Atlanta Hawks: The Cavaliers lost to the Hawks in the play-in round, which eliminated them from making the playoffs. Atlanta reloaded in the offseason by adding Dejounte Murray, but so did the Cavaliers, so this should be a fun matchup.
Dec. 26 vs. Brooklyn Nets: Another team the Cavaliers lost to in the play-in round, this will be a good test for Cleveland against a tough Brooklyn team. Depending on how these two teams finish out the season, they could see each other again in the playoffs.
Jan. 10 at Utah Jazz: It'll be Mitchell's first return to Utah, which will surely be emotional for the All-Star guard. He'll no doubt receive a warm reception from Jazz fans, and then shortly after that he'll try and lead his new team to what should be a blowout win.
