The Cavs’ general manager is expressing optimism over the team's future. Koby Altman said this week that Cleveland’s core group of players will remain intact despite another second-round playoff exit.
Ideastream Public Media’s sports commentator Terry Pluto discussed what he took away from Altman’s season-ending press conference on Monday.
“It's hard to go from good to great,” Pluto said, citing the 2024 NBA champion Boston Celtics. “With their core group of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it took them seven years to win a title.”
Altman referenced the Indiana Pacers Monday, who knocked off the Cavs in five games to head to the Eastern Conference Finals.
“They recently came through a streak where they lost in the first round five years in a row," Pluto said.
Pluto said Altman believes young teams like the Cavs must face adversity.
“He said sometimes your impatience could ruin a chance just as your team is getting ready to make that breakthrough," Pluto said.
Altman repeatedly expressed faith in their core four players; Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
“If I'm Koby Altman, even if I was thinking about, say, trading Darius Garland or something, I'm not saying anything," Pluto said. "I'm saying, you know, ‘I love all my guys. We can get better as a team.’”
Pluto said he was surprised how much of Altman’s comments centered on Evan Mobley.
“He kept saying, ‘We'll go as far as Evan Mobley will take us,’ and he talked about it at 23 (years old), Evan Mobley has become an All-Star in the NBA and Defensive Player of the Year," Pluto said. "They want Evan Mobley to take more shots (and) score more points (and to) sort of put the franchise a little bit on his shoulders, and I'm not sure Mobley’s quite ready for that whole burden. I’m not sure Mobley is going to be this guy that's going to average 20 to 25 points a game. I could be wrong because he's still young, but the other stuff he brings is so important. But really, that was a lot of Mobley talk.”
Guard Ty Jerome had a breakout season but fell flat in the series against the Pacers. Jerome is an unrestricted free agent expected to receive a significant pay raise after he made roughly $2.5 million in each of the last two seasons.
“Well, they say they like them and that, but they have some contract problems with the salary cap,” Pluto said.
The Cavs are above both aprons of the salary cap, meaning that trying to find more depth for the bench could be difficult, but ownership has not given Altman any restrictions regarding the luxury tax.
Pluto said Altman did not agree with one of his observations.
“The Cavs need another guy in the backcourt to handle the ball," Pluto said. "(Altman) was just saying how Darius Garland was playing with a bad toe and had they had Garland, that would have been taken care of. I still think they could have used another guard. He doesn't have to be a great player, but that'd be able to handle the ball against pressure. Instead of everything, Donovan Mitchell bringing the ball up the court, trying to score, just doing way too much. I asked Koby Altman about the combination of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland in the back court, which I think is more of a liability sometimes than the two big men that the Cavs have, Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. I like having those two big man, those upfront. Would they be better off with Donovan Mitchell on a bigger guard instead of Garland? In the press conference that was dismissed, that concern.”
Pluto also railed against fans who want Jarrett Allen to be traded. Pluto said he sees value in Allen despite his struggles in the final two games of the Pacers series.
“(Fans) say, ‘Well, (Allen) makes a lot of money.’ Jarrett Allen actually is the fifth highest paid player on the team," Pluto said. "Jarrett Allen is not a superstar, but he's a really good player and when you're looking and putting together your roster and with the salary cap that they have in the NBA, you look at what is this guy worth and how much does he cost on my salary cap? And my view is, he's worth it.”
Pluto says he still believes the team must find another guard.
“Donovan Mitchell, he is the essence of what you want as a leader -- a basketball player, a guy who's embraced the Cleveland (and) the community, but this guy wants to get by the second round," Pluto said. "He's been in the NBA eight years, he can't get past the second round. What can we do to this roster to elevate it to maximize Mitchell who's 28 (years old) at this key part of his career and have this team grow?”
