The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to sit atop the Eastern Conference and the NBA standings.
They need to secure the best record in the league to clinch homecourt advantage through the NBA Finals, and they currently control their own destiny to do so.
However, as important as that is, there’s nothing more crucial than being as whole as possible when it matters the most.
At least, that’s how Zach Harper feels.
Talking on 92.3 The Fan, the renowned Cavs insider claimed that the team needed to focus on staying healthy for the final 15 games of the regular season.
He argued that we already know what they’re capable of and what they can do when they’re at full strength, so they should take things lightly going forward:
“Get healthy, stay healthy. We know what this team looks like, what this team is capable of. We saw that last year. It’s a different mentality and a different team,” he said.
"Get healthy, stay healthy. We know what this team looks like, what this team is capable of. We saw that last year. It's a different mentality and a different team."
๐ @talkhoops w/ @NickWilsonSays & @JPeterlin on #Cavs final 15 games ๐โคต๏ธ
๐ Listen: https://t.co/e5NLJsCcLJ pic.twitter.com/aZ5pZ0dhUS
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 17, 2025
Of course, that makes sense, as sometimes, the healthiest team is the one that gets the job done in the postseason.
Nevertheless, you want to have some competitive rhythm as well.
We’ve seen great teams fall off a cliff because they don’t bring good momentum into the playoffs or because they’re too rested.
That’s a bit of an irony, but that’s just the way things go in sports at times.
Also, going through the motions can lead to injuries and/or develop negative habits.
Kenny Atkinson and his coaching staff have done an outstanding job of managing everybody’s minutes and giving the starters some rest every now and then, and they will most likely continue to take that approach for the remainder of the regular season.
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