How Cavaliers can fix their most glaring weakness

In a season-ending 106-95 loss to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers looked listless and disinterested. It seemed Cleveland realized it lacked the quality, size and depth to truly go toe-to-toe with the much more physical Knicks.

There is plenty of blame to pass around for losing the series in five games. All-Star Donovan Mitchell did not have a great showing, shooting 43.3 percent from the field and an atrocious 28.9 percent from three.

Second-year player Evan Mobley underperformed in his playoff debut, scoring more than six points fewer times in the playoffs than during the regular season. Mobley looked overmatched against New York’s frontcourt.

Darius Garland played the best of the three, but his shooting and assist numbers were down from the regular season, too.

However, the most glaring problem was the Cavaliers’ bench — a major liability all season. Per StatMuse, Cleveland’s bench was 28th in scoring during the 2022-23 regular season.

Having a great bench is not necessary to be a great team. The top two scoring benches in the league during the regular season belonged to the Pacers and Spurs — squads that finished well below .500. But the Cavaliers had four players average more than 37 minutes per game this season and looked worn down once the playoffs started. 

The Knicks bench outscored Cleveland by nearly nine points per game in the series. After Caris LeVert came off the bench in Game 2 and put up 24 points, no Cavaliers bench option amassed more than 10 points the rest of the series.

Before the postseason, LeVert said Cleveland had “the best second unit in the NBA,” per the Akron Beacon-Journal.

So whom should the Cavaliers target in the offseason in order to address this issue?

Cleveland clearly needs scoring and toughness off the bench. Ricky Rubio should be better with a full offseason to get stronger further removed from a late 2021 ACL injury. But the Cavaliers can’t rely on Rubio. 

Although he has never been considered a shooter, free agent Russell Westbrook would bring the toughness the Cavaliers clearly lacked against the Knicks. Westbrook may be flawed, but he is also one of the most intense and competitive players in NBA history. Cleveland desperately needs a jolt of energy and focus that Westbrook could provide.

Probably the best-case scenario, though, is for the Cavaliers to sign Toronto’s Gary Trent Jr., who has an $18.785 million player option on his contract for the 2023-24 season. The Columbus, Ohio, native averaged 17 points and shot 37% on three-pointers this season. He is exactly what the Cavs need: a young player on the cusp of his prime.

Looking toward other options, Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles, who will be a free agent this summer, would also be able to provide shooting and a veteran presence off the bench. The former Kentucky Wildcat, who will be entering his eighth season in the NBA, shot 36.3 percent from three in 2022-23. He would also provide defense and length.

If the Cavaliers add a starting wing in the offseason, that will allow them to move LeVert to the bench full time. Having the third-worst scoring bench in the league isn’t going to get them any hardware, but there are ways that they can shore up the issue.