Report: Cavs believe on and off the record that their current roster can make noise this season

The Cleveland Cavaliers entered the 2023-24 season with relatively high hopes, but it ended in disappointment when they were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Boston Celtics.

Despite a coaching change and some roster changes on the margins, they believe that their core can get the job done, according to Brian Windhorst on “The Hoop Collective.”

“Their words on the record are that they believe that this grouping can work, and I’m here to tell you their words off the record are that they believe this grouping can work,” said Windhorst.

However, Windhorst doesn’t seem to be buying what the team is saying.

“I remain skeptical that they truly believe that, but I don’t truly believe it, and I don’t have to truly believe it,” he added.

Not long after they exited the 2024 NBA Playoffs, the Cavs fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who had been at their helm for five seasons. He had done a fine job in helping them rebuild following LeBron James’ second departure in 2018, but he had trouble getting them to excel come playoff time.

In the 2022-23 season, they finished with a 51-31 record, and although they got trounced in the first round of the postseason by the rugged New York Knicks, there was genuine optimism that they were on an upward trajectory.

But this past season, they topped out at 48 wins and struggled to get past the Orlando Magic in the first round. It took a 39-point outburst from Donovan Mitchell in Game 7 for Cleveland to finally put away Orlando.

It had to endure rumors that perhaps Mitchell wanted out after its second-round playoff exit, but it ended up agreeing with him on an extension that will pay him $150.3 million over three years. It also gave big man Evan Mobley a five-year extension that will be worth $224 million.

However, the Cavs haven’t made any significant roster improvements. They seem to be stuck in that unenviable netherworld of sports — being a good, playoff-caliber team but not being a championship contender, and having seemingly no way to become a contender through internal improvement.

In fact, a recent survey of people around the NBA resulted in Mobley’s extension being voted as the worst move this offseason.