What The Hell Happened With The Cleveland Cavaliers?

What The Hell Happened With The Cleveland Cavaliers?

from being the number one seed to losing in the second round From Donovan Mitchell going crazy to the other Cav stars not showing up From a historic regular season to an embarrassing playoff exit against the Pacers the Cleveland Cavaliers are a story on their own Many expected them to get to the Eastern Conference Finals as a minimal This was a team who had spent the majority of the season with the best record in the NBA A team that had clinched a playoff spot before St Patrick’s Day yet they were bounced out in the second round What the hell happened to the Cavs the Cavs had seen it all in the 2025 season They went into the playoffs as massive favorites after a dominant regular season under new head coach Kenny Atkinson They began the season with an impressive 15game winning streak one of the best starts in NBA history They finished the regular season with a 64 win and 18 losses record securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference It was the second best regular season in the team’s history Only behind the 2009 season where they won 66 games Every team in their path they destroyed Whether it was the Boston Celtics OKC West Coast East Coast it didn’t matter The Cavs bend them all over They were just one of seven teams ever to start a season with 32 wins after 36 games Of those seven teams four of them went on to win an NBA title So Cavs fans were very positive One thing that had really benefited Atkinson was that the core had been healthy In the previous season Mitchell Mobly Allen and Garland missed a total of 89 games while in the 2025 season that number had been in the single digits What do you know having all your best dudes healthy helps winning An important note to keep in mind as we get further into this video It also helped that Atkinson had been staggering the four of them often pairing Mitchell with Moy and then Garland with Allen It made sense since Mobly made a jump in his shooting He opened the floor for Mitchell to attack the basket Meanwhile Garland and Allen could run a mean pick and roll No matter which pairing was on the court the Cavs dominated Garland had spent much of the 2024 season recovering from a broken jaw which obviously impacted his play He lost 12 lbs and looked far less aggressive in his actions which again is to be expected as he probably feared getting injured again But this season he looked better faster sharper The Cavs were also playing much faster as a team generating more possessions and getting shots up more quickly They were at the top of the charts when it came to pace of play While in the previous year they were towards the bottom Against the Bucks they scored so quickly that even Giannis was stunned at how fast they could get a bucket Donovan Mitchell was the heart of the Cavs offense When the team needed a bucket they turned to him It wasn’t just that he had great numbers It was when he scored that mattered In close games in the fourth quarter Mitchell was fearless He hit the big shots He took on defenders He carried the team on his back when they needed it the most and his leadership helped keep the team focused all season long Cuz even though Mitchell is not an old guy this team is so young that Mitchell is basically ank Then next to him was Darius Garland the floor general He made everything run smoothly averaging over 20 points and nearly seven assists per game Garland was the one who kept the ball moving and made smart decisions When the defenses collapsed on Mitchell Garland would make them pay And some nights he was the one that took over like when he dropped 39 points against the Bucks in early November Then on top of that dynamic duo Mobly took a big leap He wasn’t just good He became one of the best defenders in the NBA He could block shots grab rebounds switch on to guards and he still gave you nearly 19 points a night And since he improved his shooting he could also space the floor And then of course how can I forget Jared Allen a fantastic rim protector someone who dominated the paint a guy who could get you free baskets As talented as the roster was what really stood out was how coach Atkinson adapted Defensively he went with a 3-2 zone and it worked Mobley would play up high using his long arms and quick feet to bother guards It really threw off teams that relied on three-point shooting and driving to the paint at least it did in the regular season Then on the offensive end it was all about ball movement and spacing Garland and Mitchell had the freedom to create but they weren’t alone Like I said earlier Jared Allen gave them an inside presence He could finish lobs and clean up misses I mean this guy loves getting an offensive rebound Then Ty Jerome Max Shrews Dean Wade these guys provided shooting from deep forcing defenses to have to spread out Everyone knew their role and in the regular season that made them tough to stop When the season was over Cleveland had the top offense in the NBA the second best shooting and a top 10 defense Mitchell Garland and Mobley became all-stars Mobley even became the defensive player of the year the first player in Cavs history to win the award Kenny Atkinson won the NBA coach of the year and Ty Jerome was a runner up for NBA sixman of the year It was a fantastic season and Cavs fans believed they could really go all the way in the playoffs Well as good as the Cavs were in the regular season everyone around the team knew that the postseason is where the real journey begins Tons of teams in the past had been great regular season team but failed in the playoffs And the Cavs were determined to not let that happen The first round was against the Miami Heat a team that had historically shown they can cause some damage even as the eighth seed But without Jimmy Butler it seemed unlikely The Cavs though still had to take care of business In game one they came out with a strong start They came out ready Playing at home they took control early and never looked back Mitchell led the way with 30 points and four steals Garland added 27 points of his own But the surprise of the night was Ty Jerome In his first ever playoff game he scored 28 points 16 of them in the fourth quarter The Cavs played fast They forced turnovers and pulled away late to win They made it clear they were here to dominate The Heat fought harder in game two but the Cavs didn’t let up Mitchell stayed hot again with another 30 points including seven three-pointers Garland was sharp again with 21 points and nine assists And this time even Evan Mobley added 20 points The Heat tried to come back in the fourth but they just could not break down Cleveland’s defense Final score 121 to 112 The Cavs took a 2- lead heading to Miami In Miami the Cavs looked even better They crushed the Heat 124 to 87 Jared Allen led with 22 points DeAndre Hunter the man they had acquired mid-season scored 21 And then Moy added 19 Ty Jerome showed his playmaking skills this time finishing with 13 points and 11 assists The Cavs dominated inside the paint scoring twice as many points as the Heat did A huge 33 to5 run in the first half basically ended the game early Once again this wasn’t just a win it was a message And then in game four the Cavs made history They ended the series in an incredible fashion They won game four by 55 points Yes 55 One of the biggest playoff wins in the entire history of the NBA The final score was 138 to 83 Mitchell had 22 points Hunter added 19 and Jerome chipped in with 18 Jared Allen was everywhere I’m pretty sure the Heat guys got exhausted from seeing his afro The guy was scoring rebounding He even grabbed six steals Cleveland jumped up to a 43 to7 lead in the first quarter and just never slowed down Over the four games they outscored the Heat by 122 points the biggest margin ever in a playoff series Cleveland didn’t rely on any lastminute heroics They didn’t need to They were far better from the opening tip to the final buzzer They defended They moved the ball They hit their shots and just played together as a team It was a clean sweep and a message to the league However the second round did not go the way the Cavs fans had hoped In fact nobody expected what was about to happen Game one against the Pacers was tough Garland was out with a toe injury and without their floor general the Cavs were a bit lost Donovan Mitchell tried to carry the load pause scoring 33 points but it wasn’t enough Indiana played smart team basketball They moved the ball around quickly They hit their shots Andrew Nepard led them with 23 points And Tyrese Halleurn controlled the game with a smooth double double The Pacers had their floor general The Cavs did not have theirs The Pacers also just had too many weapons And the Cavs didn’t have enough help around Mitchell Things got even worse in game two Garland was still out but now Evan Mobley and Hunter were also missing That left Mitchell on an island but he nearly pulled off a miracle He exploded for 48 points doing everything he could to give Cleveland the lead But the guy was exhausted With just over a minute to go the Cavs were up by seven Victory was in sight But then they just collapsed The Pacers stormed back and with just seconds left Halleurn hit a clutch three to win the match The Cavs were down 02 losing both games at home and suddenly in real trouble Ty Jerome who had looked so good against the Heat was now struggling Jared Allen looked a shadow of the guy we saw earlier And of course the rest of the guys who could help Mitchell were out Now game three was a turning point Cleveland finally had their core back Garland Mobly and Hunter all returned and the energy shifted The Cavs look like themselves again They blitzed Indiana on the road grabbing their first win of the series in a dominant fashion Mitchell continued cooking He got 43 points and grabbed nine rebounds The good thing was this time he had backup Mobly was everywhere 18 points 13 rebounds four assists three steals three blocks He anchored the defense and helped shut down Indiana’s drives Garland while still not at 100% chipped in with 10 points and three assists in 25 minutes Even Hunter added some solid energy What do you know having your guys back helps The Cavs had also made some smart tactical adjustments They switched to a 3-2 zone with Mobly back up top to disrupt the passing lanes It worked great cuz Halleurn who had been dangerous in the first two games was held to just four points I mean that’s what the Pacers did well drive and kick But the next games that followed looked just like the first two games The Pacers rained threes on the Cavs and Atkinson’s team just could not handle their offense Everyone on the Pacers could shoot and they were constantly moving around So it was so difficult to handle even when you do have the defensive player of the year Now of course let’s be real injuries didn’t help the Cavs at all Garland had hurt his toe near the end of the season reinjured it in Miami and was just much slower than normal when he returned for games 3 to 5 He shot poorly He didn’t have that explosive acceleration This was not the same guy who had made an All-Star team And then of course Mobly had sprained his ankle in game one missed game two and then played games three to five on a recovering sprained ankle He was good but let’s be real even he was missing a step Mitchell played really well throughout the entire series but even he had a calf strain going into game four which he aggravated and as a result played much worse in the remaining games It also didn’t help that he had to basically carry the entire load Not just because of injuries but even when the guys returned they weren’t as good as they were before Hunter had hurt his wrist in game one and then when he came back he wasn’t what he was when he was healthy Ty Jerome looked great in the regular season in the first round but he clearly wasn’t ready for big minutes in big playoff moments He was simply too slow against Indiana unable to get a shot off in time and just played poorly Maybe a lot of us should have seen this coming After all the Pacers had beat the Cavs three times in the regular season Maybe Rick Carile’s team is just perfectly made for the postseason After game five Atkinson agreed that his team never got to the level they wanted Donovan Mitchell was in disbelief For him it felt like dja vu He had experienced this exact feeling multiple times when he was on the Jazz Anybody that tries to blame Mitchell though is simply wrong He led all his scores with 35 points in the last game 16 of them coming in the fourth quarter He had been the only consistent factor on the Cavs team and he was doing it all while battling an injury Mitchell has shown consistently that he elevates his game in the playoffs But unfortunately for him his teammates have rarely followed The Cavs who are a great three-point shooting team shot just 26% from deep Meanwhile the Pacers couldn’t miss Like I said the injuries cannot be ignored All of Cleveland’s best players were banged up for most of the series But the Pacers do play at a pace excuse the pun that is very difficult to handle across seven games In game five for example the Cavs led by as many as 19 points in the first half but by the time the fourth quarter arrived they were worn down Mitchell’s three with 6 minutes and 53 seconds to go cut Cleveland’s deficit to two points but the Pacers just kept the lead The ending of game five was similar to years in the past The Cavs had been pushed around physically and they just looked a step behind They were completely overwhelmed by a team that everyone had seen as inferior going into the series Kenny Atkinson said himself that they have to make another jump when it comes to their mental strength So what happens now teams with regular season resumes like the ones that the Cavs have don’t typically lose this early in the playoffs Five of the first seven teams to begin a season 12-0 reach the finals But unfortunately for Cleveland too many players took a step back when the playoffs began Garland who had looked so good in the regular season averaged 14 points and shot just 32% while averaging four turnovers and four assists Jared Allen really struggled in games three and four managing just 11 points and six rebounds in those two games Moy did decent averaged 18 points and 9.8 rebounds but you could tell that even he was a step behind Jerome had a disastrous series He ended up falling out of Atkins’s rotation and he was only played out of necessity in the second half of game five He was the team’s biggest free agent after a brilliant regular season in which his 12.5 points per game was the highest average among all players averaging fewer than 20 minutes He completely fell apart against the Pacers And honestly it probably cost him a chance at a very lucrative contract cuz he probably could have gone 100 mil for 4 years in free agency Mitchell was the only bright spot as I said but even he didn’t shoot well from three But to me I can put that down to fatigue and him playing through a calf problem cuz I don’t know what else he could have done individually when your second star your fourth best player they’re not showing up What’s the number one guy supposed to do the Pacers had so many different weapons and all of them showed up Halleurn was good Seakum was a beast Miles Turner stretched the floor Nemhardt Naymith TJ McConnell How is Donovan Mitchell supposed to beat this team with just Evan Mobley coming to perform now there’s no reason to fire the coach Atkinson did a great job And I don’t think you can watch those performances and think the problem is X’s and O’s On top of that the Cavs core are all under contract Now a glass half full guy will look at this team and say they got more experience and will hopefully be healthier next season Cuz if everybody was fully 100% fit who knows what would have happened in this series We only basically got a brief glimpse of it in game three And even then the guys who returned were nowhere near 100% ready But then a glass half empty person would say that maybe this team is just built for the regular season and not a deep playoff run Cuz maybe a player like Garland is just a great regular season player Maybe he can never handle the physicality of a deep postseason run Maybe the two big lineup doesn’t work And now the question will arise again Could Donovan Mitchell ask out this speculation was silenced when he signed his extension It silenced the noise But after yet another year where Mitchell showed up but his team didn’t those speculations will begin again cuz people will ask “Are Garland Mobley and Allen true difference makers will Mitchell want to run it back with this team?” A lot of questions will be asked in the offseason That’s just how it goes When a team goes into the postseason as a number one seed and then loses in five games to a team that nobody expected to return back to the Eastern Conference Finals there’s going to be discussions Naturally the way these media outlets work there’s going to be demands made this summer to break up the core four of Mitchell Garland Mobly and Allen They’re going to say that it’s been three consecutive postseason failures but it’s not that easy anymore Cleveland made their bed and now they have to sleep in it This team is who they are When they got DeAndre Hunter at the trade deadline it meant that the Cavs will be a second apron team next season That means the owners are going to have a fat tax bill and it’s going to restrict what they can pay free agents and what trades they can make Now on paper the Cavs are still good but nobody will believe it until they see better results in the playoffs Now on top of Mitchell Moy is still a very bright spot for this Cleveland team To see just how good he had been in the 2025 season you got to check out this video right here

The Cleveland Cavaliers dominated the 2024–25 regular season, finishing with a 64–18 record and securing the top seed in the Eastern Conference. However, their playoff run ended abruptly in the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Indiana Pacers. This video delves into the factors behind the Cavaliers’ unexpected postseason collapse, including injuries, offensive struggles, and critical in-game lapses.

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