The 2020-2021 NBA season is coming to a close for the Cleveland Cavaliers and there are a lot more questions than answers.
Kudos to anyone who can sit and watch the Cleveland Cavaliers and not constantly curse at their television. To call watching this version of the Cavs an exercise in frustration is extremely generous. This incarnation of the Cavaliers is unwatchable most of the time and leads to a lot more questions than answers. The fact that there is one player in particular which has divided the fanbase is not helping matters, but we will get to him in a little bit. Let’s start with the elephant in the room.
The whole Kevin Love situation
Kevin Love has to go plain and simple. Love will always be praised for his contributions during the competitive years and presence during the infancy of the rebuild. The problem is that the longer the rebuild has gone on the more issues seems to pop up. Love is supposed to be a leader for this team, an example of what to do. Unfortunately he has displayed the behavior the complete opposite of what he should be.
As far as on court performance goes, there really is not a place for him as a starter on this team anymore. Love does not possess the quickness or athleticism to be a starting big in the modern NBA and continuing to start him is a disservice to him and other four players on the floor.
At the end of the day the Cavaliers need to do what is best for the team and Love. That means going their separate ways through any means necessary. That could mean a trade to a different team or just biting the bullet and absorbing the remainder of his salary. The fact of the matter is that Love on this roster is no longer a viable option.
What to do with Collin Sexton?
This is the divisive player mentioned above. Collin Sexton was the first player drafted in the second post-LeBron era and there is an attachment to the player from certain sectors of the fanbase. Others realize that the shortcomings of the player referred to as Young Bull. While Sexton can score, his abilities as a guard who can run an offense are not up to par. It is foolish for the Cavaliers to continually start Sexton and expect different results.
This leads us to the question of what the Cavs should do with Sexton. They have two options really. If they still view him as a valuable piece to incorporate in some manner they can move him to the bench where his skill set as a high-end Jordan Clarkson would thrive. If for some reason they are not able to agree to that role change, trade him for whatever they can get. Handing Sexton a max-contract when he is eligible for one is simply a mistake this team cannot make.
Either way, the Cavaliers can no longer continue to start Sexton. They did give SexLand a legitimate shot, but it has become quite apparent that is simply a combo that will not result in winning basketball. Sexton does not have the required vision or overall skill set of a starting caliber player. A starter needs to be able to run plays and be part of greater offensive game plan. A sixth-man can come off the bench with one thing on this mind, scoring. Sexton would be perfect in that role if the Cavaliers can convince him of the same. If not, a split for the two sides would be necessary.
The Draft
The Cleveland Cavaliers are still at a point in the team building process where they should not be zeroing in on positions. It is still about collecting talent and letting everything fall into place. The Cavs are so far away from being relevant that they just need to keep adding the best available players they can through the draft. The discussion about who that player could be with their first pick will really come into focus after the draft lottery takes place.
When will the team turn things around?
Honestly, who knows? The problem with the Cavaliers is that they believe they are a lot better than they actually are. It is truly the Dunning-Kruger effect playing out in real time. The team has said it plans to compete and not tank, yet they have been one of the worst teams in the league during that time. There have been moves made that reflect the belief that the team is going to be relevant, but the results have pretty much been miss after miss. They have acted like someone who is in a boat that is taking on water due to a hole, but instead of fixing the hole they make another to let the water out. Essentially every move the Cavs make results in the team taking on more water and continue their path to irrelevance.
Until the Cavaliers land an actual franchise changing player in the draft there is no real timeline for being relevant. They have drafted players that have been successful at their draft slots, the issue is that they are not elite talents. These types of players that they have drafted are complimentary type players who need someone to play off of. Until they land a true elite talent, they will continue to live in the basement of the Eastern Conference.
