The Cleveland Cavaliers cruised their way through the Eastern Conference this season.
They won a conference-best 64 regular-season games and finished the campaign with the second-most wins overall.
Unfortunately, they failed to carry that momentum into the playoffs, losing to the Indiana Pacers in just five games.
Even so, as disappointing as that was, Gene Winters doesn’t think the team should blow up the roster just yet.
Making an appearance on “The Bruce Drennan Show,” the renowned NBA analyst made a case for the Cavs to double down on this core and run it back next season:
“So, if you run it back again with a 64-win team and then take your chances, I think the Cavs could explore that option as well, just because of the potential landscape of what the East looks like,” Winters said.
Will the #Cavs trade Darius Garland or Jarrett Allen? #LetEmKnow
"So, if you run it back again with a 64 win team and then take your chances, I think the Cavs could explore that option as well."
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— Bruce Drennan Show (@Bruce_Drennan) June 8, 2025
As he mentioned, the Boston Celtics will most likely be without Jayson Tatum for most of – if not all – the season because of his Achilles injury, and the New York Knicks are a question mark without a new coach.
As for Giannis Antetokounmpo, his future is still up in the air, but even if he stays, the Milwaukee Bucks won’t have Damian Lillard, and they’ve struggled to get back to their winning ways.
Nevertheless, if the Cavs do choose to run it back, they need to make moves to match up with the Pacers.
Rick Carlisle’s team won three out of four in the regular season, including the last two, and they won four out of five in the playoffs.
Dropping seven out of nine games against the same opponent in a single season is worrisome, especially if the team has made the Conference Finals in consecutive seasons.
The Cavs are not that far behind, but the Pacers seem to be a terrible matchup for them.
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