A Review of the Season with Koby Altman

As the old saying goes, only one playoff team wins its last game. The other 15 squads have a day like the Cavaliers did on Friday: With the top brass explaining what went wrong at the end, and what the organization has planned over the next few months to fix it. 

Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman took center stage at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Friday morning, just four days after the Wine & Gold were unceremoniously eliminated by the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. He celebrated the franchise’s success – reaching the Conference Finals for the first time since 2018 – while acknowledging the shortcomings standing between the franchise and its ultimate goal. 

After being ousted in the East Semis in each of the two previous seasons, the 52-win Cavaliers entered the postseason as the 4^th-seed, facing the Raptors in the First Round before taking on the top-seeded Pistons. Both series went the distance, with Cleveland overcoming devastating Game 6 results in each set to notch decisive wins in Game 7.  

But even with a fully healthy roster, the grueling back-to-back series – which had them playing a game every other day since April 29 – took its toll on Kenny Atkinson’s squad. And a crushing Game 1 loss to the red-hot and well-rested Knicks in the ECF took what steam was left out of the Cavs, who dropped all four games in the series by double-digits. 

“The Knicks have been really good, and I don't want to take anything away from their performance,” said Altman. “I think over the last 10 games, they're playing at an offensive efficiency, unlike anything we've seen in the playoffs. And I think for us, if we're being honest and transparent, when we lost Game 1, that really impacted us. 

“But let's make no mistake, the Knicks, they're a great team, and they're well deserved to represent the East in the Finals. We’ve gotta get better in terms of, okay, we want to play longer. If we're gonna use (tired) legs as an excuse, then that means we gotta start now in terms of our preparation, in terms of our endurance, in terms of our durability, because everyone’s going through that right now.” 

Last season’s postseason ouster was painful because of the team’s regular season success – winning 64 games and finishing with the East’s best mark and the top seed heading into the playoffs. This year’s squad clawed its way back to the postseason, bouncing back from a 17-16 start, weathering one injury after another and eventually recalibrating after a pair of big deals at the Deadline. 

Kenny Atkinson was named the NBA’s Coach of the Year after last season’s success, but he might have been even better this year after having to navigate an unusual campaign. Of course, after being eliminated, Atkinson took much of the heat. 

Koby Altman took the opportunity on Friday morning to defend him. 

“We heard a lot of noise after that loss to the Knicks, which was unfortunate,” said Altman. “When we win, we win as an organization. When we lose as an organization, we all own it. And there doesn't always have to be a fall guy. Kenny has been remarkable over the last two years. 

“I think the most extraordinary part of Kenny this year was, right out of the gate, we were hurt and beat up – a lot of starters missing. For him to stabilize that, with 41 different starting lineups, I think was incredible. And to get us back to 52 wins, he was able to move and adjust on the fly really well. We traded for James Harden, added a couple pieces, obviously, in Dennis [Schröder] and Keon [Ellis], at the Deadline, and now we have to shift and change the way we play a little bit. Dramatically, in some cases. And he was able to adapt and make it work and build around that.”

Of course, the James Harden deal shaped and re-shaped the Cavaliers this spring. 

It wasn’t easy decision to make the blockbuster trade, having to send 26-year-old Darius Garland to L.A. in exchange for the future Hall of Famer. Garland, the popular point guard who was the team’s most tenured player at the time of the trade, had struggled with toe injuries all year, and Cleveland took off when Harden joined the lineup in early February. 

In 26 regular season games, the Cavs went 19-7 with Harden – who averaged 20.7 points and 7.7 assists over that stretch – in the lineup. In the postseason, Harden was up and down, topping the 20-point plateau seven teams while leading the squad in assists over the 18-game run. Unfortunately, the turnover bug bit him (and the team) at some inopportune moments. 

On Friday, Altman talked about the 37-year-old’s future in Cleveland. 

“He was remarkable for us,” said Altman. “I think people need to take a step back and realize we didn't trade for MVP James Harden. We traded for James Harden who, at the end of his career, has transformed himself to becoming one of the best point guards in the league. He helped stabilize us. He helped galvanize the group. We were kind of shaky there in terms of our belief. And when he came on board, he gave us a real belief and swagger. We're not in the conference finals without James. 

“So that's a real important piece. And we need to figure it out. But obviously, we're in the second apron, as of right now, and we need to figure out what pieces we can bring back. Those are hard decisions.”

Altman and the Cavaliers will definitely have some difficult decisions to work through this summer. They finished in the league’s final four, have a starting backcourt that boasts 18 combined All-Star appearances and two unique big men, including one who’s a year removed from being named Defensive Player of the Year.  

And the squad will also go into the offseason with a proven track record of internal player development. Last year, Jaylon Tyson made a huge jump as a sophomore, Sam Merrill became a full-time rotational piece and Nae’Qwan Tomlin went from a two-way player last season to 64 appearances this year. 

“Tyrese Proctor's gonna have a big off season for us,” said Altman. “He played over 500 minutes this year, and it kind of shows you how we started the year off with all the injuries. And to where he is now. So, I'm excited about his growth for sure. We have a draft pick this year. We'll see what we can do with that.

“I think the big reason why we hired Kenny was to make sure that the lifeblood of our program was always going to be player development, always gonna be setting up players for success here in Cleveland. We always say: Come to Cleveland to find your best self. We give you that opportunity here. Players have had the best years of their careers here. They see success here, and they want to be a part of this program. We have agents that reach out and say: Man, I really love the system. I love what Kenny does. This is a great fit. That's huge for us.”

The Cavaliers will take some time off before getting back to the drawing board for next season. Cleveland has the 29^th overall pick in next month’s Draft. Free agency begins in early July, followed by Summer League tipping-off July 9 in Las Vegas. 

The Wine & Gold are on the precipice of getting back to the NBA’s promised land, but it won’t be easy against an improving Eastern Conference. They simply ran out of gas this spring, but they know it’s a process. Now it’s up to Koby Altman and Co. to help get them over the hump. 

“The Knicks lost in the Conference Finals last year, and now they're in the (NBA) Finals,” said Altman. “A couple years before, the Pacers lost in the Conference Finals, and they made the Finals. There is a pathway here. Now that you've gotten here and realize how difficult it is. I'm not saying there's not fatigue and mental fatigue, but you’ve got to give yourself a chance. And that's why we're disappointed. Because we built ourselves up to a level of expectation and standard now to where we want to get to the Finals and compete for that Championship. And so, anything less is just excuses – and we can't go there.”