The Cleveland Cavaliers approach the upcoming season in a way that takes the possibility of being without Ricky Rubio into consideration. The veteran backup point guard recently announced that he is putting his professional basketball career on hold to focus on his mental health. This puts the Cavs in a spot where they must alter any of their plans that include Rubio.
Waiting and hoping Rubio returns at some point to contribute to this team is not an acceptable approach. Yes, it would be great if that was the case, but mental health can be tricky. It does not work within predetermined timeframes that fit the structure of the upcoming season. Because of this, they should Rubio’s potential involvement next season as non-existent. Maybe Rubio gets the help he needs to get in a better spot mentally and eventually returns to the game of basketball. But banking on that from the Cavs’ perspective is not a good management strategy.
Without Rubio, the Cavs have just one point guard on their roster and that is Darius Garland. This presents a problem. It is possible that Cleveland alters their rotations and staggers the time of Garland and Donovan Mitchell a bit differently to make up for the absence of Rubio. Mitchell is a very ball dominant player and is more than capable of running an offense if needed. But again, a backup point with experience would be a bit more optimal for everyone involved.
The free agent market is nothing special at this point in the offseason as most players available are available for a reason. Perhaps they could swing a trade for someone a team would end up releasing due to a roster crunch. Either way, finding an actual backup option will be vital to their success.
