The Cleveland Cavaliers ended a frustrating and disappointing playoff series against the New York Knicks on Wednesday by losing Game 5, 106-95, and exiting the playoffs.
Cleveland’s youth and lack of depth was on full display in the series, as they kept coming off rebounds and lacked any offensive spark off the bench.
However, they lost in their poor performance against New York the fact that they have a very bright future.
Coach JB Bickerstaff put a positive impression on the season as a whole by saying his players should be proud of what they’ve done.
Experience, learn and grow. It’s time to come back stronger next season. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/cyDOXSYfDx
– Cleveland Cavaliers (cavs) April 27, 2023
Last season, Cleveland came within minutes of winning a playoff championship, and they had a promising young core consisting of All-Star guard Darius Garland and big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
But their schedule was pushed forward when they shocked the NBA with touchdown guard Donovan Mitchell in a deal late last summer.
Mitchell had his best season to date, averaging 28.3 points per game and shooting 48.4 percent from the field, both career highs, and the Cavs finished with a 51-31 record, giving them fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
Most impressively, they finished #1 in the defensive rankings, which in itself is quite an achievement for such a young team, and has given the Cavs a foundation to build on going forward.
The team needs to address its lack of productive bench players, as well as its lack of frontcourt beef, but it may only be a matter of time before they seriously compete for an NBA championship.
the next:
Cavs Center admit defeat against Mitchell Robinson