It’s Not Much of a Weakness
Every contending team in the NBA has at least one flaw that could be exploited in the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics sometimes struggle to create mismatches and can become too reliant on three-pointers. The Oklahoma City Thunder lack on-ball creators outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Denver Nuggets have depth issues and a defense ranked in the bottom 12. The New York Knicks sacrifice spacing when they prioritize rim protection. The Los Angeles Lakers are inconsistent shooters, while the Golden State Warriors have too many players who can either shoot or defend but not both.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, however, don’t have a glaring weakness on their roster. They have redundancy at every position, a historically elite offense with top-tier shooting, and multiple impact defenders. Their star power is undeniable—not one definitive top-10 player, but three who could be in the top 20 or 25.
If Darius Garland or Donovan Mitchell misses time, the other can shoulder more of the offensive load while Ty Jerome steps in off the bench. Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter provide different versions of the same skill set, while Dean Wade and Hunter add lineup flexibility with their positional versatility.
And yet, there is one concern that cannot be addressed this season, no matter how well they play. It’s the reason many analysts may hesitate to pick them as title favorites. Their Achilles’ heel?
The Cavaliers Lack Playoff Experience
Cleveland’s biggest challenge isn’t talent, depth, or chemistry—it’s a lack of deep playoff experience. Specifically, this team hasn’t proven it can win multiple series and make a run to the NBA Finals.
Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, De’Andre Hunter, and Dean Wade have each played in just three playoff series. Jarrett Allen has played in four, including one early in his career with the Brooklyn Nets. Ty Jerome has yet to appear in a single postseason game.
Donovan Mitchell is the most experienced playoff performer on the roster, with 10 series under his belt, but he has never advanced beyond the second round. Max Strus is the only player in Cleveland’s rotation who has been to the NBA Finals, making the trip with the Miami Heat in 2023. This group has yet to prove it can navigate multiple rounds together.
The Celtics enter this postseason as defending champions, with every key player from last season’s title run returning. The Milwaukee Bucks won it all in 2022 and still have Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the league’s three best players. Brook Lopez won alongside him. Kyle Kuzma has a championship ring from his time with the 2020 Lakers. Damian Lillard, despite never winning a title, has been to the Western Conference Finals and played in 65 playoff games.
For the Cavaliers to reach the NBA Finals, they’ll likely need to take down the Bucks in the second round and the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. If they make it that far, they would then face an elite Western Conference contender—perhaps the historically great defense of the Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning champion Denver Nuggets led by Nikola Jokić, or an all-time superstar like LeBron James, Luka Dončić, Stephen Curry, or Jimmy Butler.
There’s no easy path where Cleveland avoids a team with more playoff experience. That doesn’t mean they can’t win it all—after all, the 2015 Warriors had never been past the second round before exploding for 60 wins and a championship. Teams that are good enough can gain experience while winning.
Still, there’s no denying that postseason experience matters. It will be a talking point for analysts, influence betting odds, and weigh on the minds of the Cavs’ players as they prepare for the playoffs. They are fully capable of overcoming it—but for now, it remains their biggest question mark.
