High Expectations for the Cleveland Cavaliers After a Successful Season
Cleveland Cavaliers president of basketball operations Koby Altman is aware that expectations for next season will be significantly different. After a standout regular season, where the team led the Eastern Conference, the elimination in the conference semifinals against the Indiana Pacers has highlighted the need for improvements.
Altman has pointed out that the main focus during the offseason will be to strengthen the team’s mentality and physical condition to face the pressure of being considered one of the best in the league. The goal is clear: to exceed expectations and advance in the playoffs.
“We recreated the expectation and now we have to live with that. I think it’s a space we want to be in and take that to next year’s playoffs, knowing that we’re going to have to change that narrative, knowing that we have to overcome the obstacle,” Altman stated.
Koby Altman
The Cavaliers have experienced a steady improvement over the last four seasons, rebuilding their roster after a period of success that included four consecutive NBA Finals appearances and a title in 2016.
Altman has built a solid core with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Jarrett Allen. This group has demonstrated its ability to compete in the regular season, achieving a notable advance in wins under coach Kenny Atkinson and leading the Eastern Conference.
The next step for the Cavaliers is to advance beyond the conference semifinals. Altman has mentioned teams like Indiana, Denver, Boston, and Oklahoma City as examples of teams that have undergone a growth process with their key players before achieving success.
Regarding the determining factors in the series against Indiana, Altman highlighted the end of the second game, in which the Pacers won by a narrow score. Concentration and the ability to win in critical moments are key aspects that the Cavaliers must improve.
Guard Ty Jerome is about to become an unrestricted free agent, but Altman has expressed interest in re-signing him. The team’s situation regarding the salary cap could make it difficult to find more bench depth, although ownership has not imposed financial restrictions.
Although Donovan Mitchell attracts a lot of attention, the success of the Cavaliers will largely depend on the progress of Evan Mobley. Mobley, named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, had an outstanding season, averaging 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds, and was selected for the NBA All-Star Game for the first time.
Mobley also had nine games this season with at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
“We’re going to advance as a franchise as Evan advances. And we’ve had that conversation with Evan,” Altman said. “In the playoffs, we need more. We need more than 13 field goal attempts a game, that’s new for Evan. There’s another jump. And so, Kenny will be able to implement his offseason program, and we’re really excited about that. And we’re going to see internal growth there, and we think we have one of the best big men in the game in Evan Mobley.”
Koby Altman
