The Cavs and Clippers each face large, related questions within the NBA playoffs

Earlier than we go wherever else, I’m not evaluating Jarrett Allen and Michael Olowakandi, nor Cavaliers Shawn Kemp to Clippers James Harden, however there’s one thing to be stated about how related the Cavs and Clippers have been all through their historical past (sans LeBron’s years in Cleveland). Each have constructed high quality groups after struggling by years of overpaid, sad vets and gifted, but unguided younger expertise. These 1998 roster mentions aren’t franchise gamers, nevertheless it looks like the previous retains repeating itself

Issues weren’t at all times this unhealthy for the 2024 variations of every staff, although. At one level, the Clippers went 31-8 from the center of November till early February. That could be a successful proportion of almost 80%, which might equate to a virtually 65-win season. Throughout that stretch, LA had a web score of +8.0, which might be second solely behind the Celtics (ridiculous) +11.3. Their 124.2 offensive score seemingly speaks for itself, however for context, the best offensive score in a single season is 123.3. The Clippers, regardless of their popularity, had satisfied the world as soon as once more.

At an analogous level within the season, the Cavaliers dropped solely two video games throughout a 20-game stretch. They did so with out level guard Darius Garland or franchise cornerstone Evan Mobley. Jarrett Allen had 17 double-doubles over that point interval. Donovan Mitchell was getting real, actual MVP buzz — or, on the very least, actual MVP dialog buzz. It appeared that if the Cavs may reintegrate their two lacking stars, they might be one of many few groups within the East that would problem the Celtics.

As an alternative, each groups now discover themselves as little as they may presumably be. The Clippers stopped their climb to the highest of the West, falling off a cliff to go 15-14 after the All-Star break. The Cavs, much more disastrously, are 5 video games below .500 in the identical stretch and noticed all of their momentum dissipate after the return of the 2 stars that had been speculated to buoy their playoff probabilities.

Regardless of their prolonged strings of high quality play, the Clippers and Cavs are on the verge of seeing their two respective eras come to an finish. Rumors and hypothesis are already swirling concerning the departures of Paul George and Donovan Mitchell. Would-be fellow cornerstones Harden and Mobley, although at fully completely different factors of their profession, will each be trying to find long-term extensions.

For these groups, the one solution to create the long run these stretches gave us a glimpse of is, paradoxically, to reclaim the very heights they reached. Both they get again into type, or they may stop to exist of their present iterations.

Even in a playoff world stuffed with “do-or-die” situations, it doesn’t get rather more do-or-die than that.

So, how do you get well to achieve your individual expectations? How do you rediscover yourselves once you solely have per week and wherever between 4 and 7 video games to determine your identification? How do you alter rapidly once you haven’t been in a position to all season?

For the Cavs, the great — partially self-made — fortune of taking part in a staff with the identical offensive inabilities as them in a first-round collection with the Orlando Magic could assist conceal any shortcomings for a bit. However I’d like to see Cleveland get again to their strengths: robust guard play, defensive tone setting from the bigs, and a particularly versatile rotation at small ahead that permits near-constant pivots in play model mid-game.

The obvious change, nonetheless, is one that may be simply said, however is much tougher to implement: Put merely, Darius Garland must be higher. 16.6 factors and primarily seven assists per recreation is certainly not unhealthy, however the Cavs’ supposed loss of life lineup of Garland, Mitchell, Strus, Mobley, and Allen has been mediocre since Garland’s return on January 31.

It might not be value evaluating Garland’s present affect to his pre-injury self, however as a substitute to the lineup that changed him in that absence. That aforementioned 5 has performed 368 minutes collectively this 12 months, and is simply +1.4 throughout these six hours of gameplay. The second-highest minute rely, at 232, merely replaces Mobley with sharpshooter Dean Wade, and Garland with versatile slasher Isaac Okoro. That lineup is on the base of the run that had Cleveland demanding consideration, posting a ridiculous +19.6 web score. Their 121.4 offensive score could be top-three within the league. Their 101.8 defensive score would blow the remainder of the league out of the water.

However, the Cavs don’t have a time machine, and so they definitely gained’t be capable to abandon their franchise level guard, so how can they make Garland work?

Garland’s strongest five-man lineup is a Tetris away from Mitchell’s. Changing Allen’s bruising screening and rolling with Mobley’s stretch and change playstyle, and reshuffling the wing lineup to characteristic Caris Levert and Okoro sees a web optimistic of 23.1. Most notably although, it makes Garland’s job simpler. Every of Garland’s optimistic five-man lineups share one constant stat: The upper the tempo, the higher the splits.

There are different questions that Cleveland has been dealing with all 12 months, together with the plain Mobley disappointments which have led to Derrick Favors comparisons, however getting Garland again on top of things would do extra to supercharge the offense that the protection has saved afloat.

Photograph by Adam Pantozzi/NBAE by way of Getty Pictures

And whereas the Cavs have youth between Mobley, Garland, Okoro, and different skills that may be retooled round, their mirror photographs within the different convention’s fourth seed have barely extra difficult issues than hoping younger stars rediscover their potential or study to suit collectively extra harmoniously.

These Clippers know who their stars are, and they don’t seem to be simply on their final legs, however probably all the way down to their final toes.

It clearly doesn’t assist that Harden has spent the final two months capturing beneath 40% from the sphere and simply barely over 30% from deep. The truth that he’s -62 throughout their final 24 video games because the All-Star Break isn’t any higher. However, his function has stayed the identical. As a playmaker, Harden has maintained his usefulness.

Whereas Kawhi Leonard may definitely be the piece that pushes them again to their earlier commonplace, his standing for recreation one in opposition to the Mavericks continues to be very a lot unsure. Clearly, any fringe top-10 participant with a top-five ceiling will assist a staff’s probability to win, You don’t have to learn any basketball evaluation to determine that out. However, with Leonard’s questionable standing and the truth he’s performed zero video games within the month of April, the Clippers could have to look in different instructions.

So, whereas the query for the Cavs was how one can redefine an identification with improved expertise, Los Angeles wants to determine an identification that isn’t simply to “out-talent” the opposite staff. Russell Westbrook and Paul George have been dragging this staff to competent basketball, so beginning Westbrook, as some notable NBA podcasters have steered, is definitely a risk.

Or perhaps the reply is in a buyout acquisition a buyout acquisition so unheralded that it was primarily decreased to non-story standing.

Possibly the reply for the Clippers is Daniel Theis.

Theis has silently been the most effective massive man on the roster because the commerce deadline handed. At solely 17 minutes per recreation, Theis’ dimensionality as a non-zero shooter (not at the same time as a league-average one!) has proven its worth past extra traditional facilities like Ivica Zubac or Mason Plumlee.

However these are all minor tweaks. What the Clippers actually need is to not be the Clippers. This Cavs period has not been outlined. The Clippers’ corresponding period has each little bit of the sentence, from participle to appositive, stuffed in. Playoff failure after playoff failure, midseason championship after midseason championship, the one factor lacking from the tip of this period is the punctuation mark.

Each era of Clippers basketball, from these terrible 90s groups to Lob Metropolis, has participated in trickle-down self-destruction. A transfer to Inglewood is on the horizon for the Clippers, however one last bid for legitimacy and consistency stays in downtown Los Angeles. Even when popularity stays, perhaps this epoch gained’t make it to their new residence.

However whereas it’s value evaluating the 2 groups as they’re so just like the bare eye, finally, although, they’re attempting to do reverse issues from one different.

One is attempting to save lots of the staff they had been for a number of months, to return to the usual they’d established. The opposite is preventing to keep away from not simply the pure tendencies of its roster, however the historic nature of its personal franchise. At all times second greatest, at all times coming brief, the champions of February and March despatched residence in Might.

Two fourth seeds are coming into the playoffs, each barely holding their head afloat within the brief and long run. This postseason is both their dying breaths on life assist, or the defibrillator that brings them again from the brink.

Both manner, any success will come from embracing their pasts. Any future will come from overcoming them.