Fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers were hugely disappointed when the team went down in the first round of the playoffs in five games to the New York Knicks.
The Cavs got manhandled on the boards, and their young frontline got outplayed by Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson, New York’s two rugged and physical big men.
But all in all, it was a successful season for them, as they finished with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Several members of the team thanked fans across Northeast Ohio for their support all year long.
To the best fans in the world, thank you. #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/W4JbSQ4ENe
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) May 5, 2023
The Cavs have a bright future, as they possess a young team with plenty of upside and a nice foundation.
Part of that foundation can be found on the defensive end — they finished the regular season with the NBA’s best defensive rating, which is quite a feat for such a young team.
Guard Donovan Mitchell, their huge acquisition last summer, took his game to an even higher level by averaging 28.3 points a game while shooting 48.4 percent from the field, both of which were career-highs, and his 38.6 percent accuracy from 3-point range tied his previous career high.
A lot of the team’s upside lies inside of big man Evan Mobley — although he had a very poor series against the Knicks, he stepped things up during the second half of the regular season.
If he develops into a real star and gains some upper-body strength and mass, he could take the Cavs from a pretender into a legitimate contender.
NEXT: The Cavs Will Reportedly Shop A Notable Player This Offseason
