The Cleveland Cavaliers’ season has come to an abrupt end. Kenny Atkinson’s team was eliminated from the playoffs by the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday, May 13. Indiana won four out of five games, making light work of a team that dominated the regular season.
Donovan Mitchell provided a candid take on his team’s elimination during his postgame news conference. He admitted that the roster had left the city of Cleveland down, especially as it lost all three home games in this series.
“I love playing in that f***’n arena, man,” Mitchell said. “That energy, that crowd. We were 0-3 at home. We let the city down, man. This place is special. This place is really special. We didn’t get it done.”
Cleveland will now head into the offseason looking for answers. They were supposed to be a genuine threat to win the Eastern Conference. Instead, they fell apart when faced with the Pacers’ high-octane offense, led by Tyrese Haliburton. Therefore, Atkinson and the front office may need to explore some potential roster changes.
Of course, part of Cleveland’s elimination is down to injuries. Darius Garland , Evan Mobley , Mitchell and De’Andre Hunter were all dealing with some form of knock, bump or bruise. Having four members of the core rotation banged up likely played a significant role in the Cavaliers struggles.
Pacers Attacked Cleveland’s Limited Size
During a recent episode of the “Wine and Gold Talk Podcast,” host Chris Fedor pinpointed the Pacers’ ability to hunt mismatches in the post as a potentially significant factor in the series.
“The other thing that they did is they just obliterated every single small player in the post,” Fedor said. “They took advantage of those mismatches. They looked for those mismatches in a way that they were not disciplined enough to do in game three. Certainly, Pascal Siakam worked in the post against Max Strus and bullied him. Obi Toppin against Darius Garland. Myles Turner against Max Strus.”
Cleveland had no answer for the Pacers’ offensive execution. A team that had looked dominant on defense all season long was being carved open on a near-possession-by-possession basis. Nevertheless, losses like this are important. The Cavaliers will come back a better team following these struggles.
Ty Jerome Wants to Stay With Cavaliers
Ty Jerome is set to hit unrestricted free agency this summer. However, during a recent discussion with Michael Scotto of HoopsHype , Jerome made his desire to remain with the Cavaliers very clear.
“I think I have an amazing situation here with a coaching staff that empowers me and a team that empowers me,” Jerome told HoopsHype. “Obviously, I’d love to be back. We’ve just got to see how it plays out.”
Jerome was a key part of the Cavaliers’ rotation this season. He was among the front-runners in the Sixth Man of the Year race. Therefore, it’s logical to expect him back next season. Of course, the Cavaliers will need to take stock of the roster before making a final decision. A gentleman’s sweep has a way of making a team take a look inward before moving forward.
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