The Cleveland Cavaliers have been synonymous with Donovan Mitchell's name mixed with other talented big men in Evan Mobley and Jarett Allen. They had lost early to a New York Knicks team filled with experience. But, that was not the only reason they were knocked out of title contention. JB Bickerstaff's offensive sequences are often predictable, the Cavs struggled with grabbing boards, and the team lacked a lot of wing depth that they may have tried to fill during the offseason. All of these problems have carried straight into the NBA Preseason. And, it will most definitely affect their chances at a 2024 NBA championship.

The Cavs' fatal flaw(s)

The pick-and-roll is a classic schematic. It allows for a dynamic set of players to take advantage of both looks inside and pop off from far out. It is still used to this very day despite it being dated but no other team used this set more than the Cavs. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell would often be the ball handlers. They are most likely going to get a screen from either Evan Mobley or Jarett Allen which leads to both of these enormous men rolling to the basket. Now, if you think that this is easy to counter, NBA coaches would probably agree with you.

Donovan Mitchell's pass inside would often get trapped. Defenses would force the pass too low leaving Jarett Allen and Evan Mobley to fumble the ball upon reception. Or, the Cavs bail out the read and pass to a shooter whose shot gets smothered upon release. This is exactly what the Knicks did and it worked against a squad that either looked lost or one-dimensional.

Another concern that sprung since last season and still remains a concern is their rebounding. Yes, you heard that right. For a team that has big names at their frontcourt, JB Bickerstaff's Cavs struggle in grabbing boards. The problem was prevalent in their Knicks series and it carried over to the NBA Preseason. Their winless campaign before the 82 games hit perfectly exemplified this. In their showdown against the Indiana Pacers, the Cavs found it hard to get into position to box out.

All of these led to getting dominated on the boards. The NBA Preseason game ended with the Cavs notching 38 rebounds while the Pacers got 54. It was the defensive board battles that caught the Evan Mobley-led team in their Achilles' heel.

How will they fix this?

The additions of Max Strus, Georges Niang, and Emoni Bates are a step in the right direction for JB Bickerstaff's team. Adding more wing depth allows the team to make Mitchell and Garland play off-ball. This opens a world of possibilities for the Cavs and how they run their offense. More than that, it also does not stall which forces either guard to jack up a shot that is way out of their range.

Wings are able to execute the same way bigs can but also create for teammates like a guard. The addition of these three makes the team more versatile. Their other concern which comes in the form of rebounding has the potential to also be solved with the involvement of these three. Their athleticism allows them to bail out poor positioning inside the paint and sky for the rebound. Amazing wings come with astounding versatility and the Cavs had to learn that in a heartbreaking fashion last year.