Entering the 2025 NBA playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers were viewed as legitimate championship contenders. Kenny Atkinson’s team had dominated the league throughout the regular season.
However, the Cavaliers fell short during the postseason. They were eliminated in the second round at the hands of the Indiana Pacers. During a recent interview with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, Atkinson admitted that he’s still working through the emotional pain of that loss.
“You’re still waking up every day with that. It’s the pain,” Atkinson said. “It was just brutal in the first couple of weeks. Time heals but I don’t want to forget. I will throw on the Indiana series to look at it and remind myself and then the pain immediately returns. But have to fight through watching it. That’s part of the therapy of it. Have to go through the uncomfortable. We are going to have to see how we are going to approach that with our players because you can’t live in that world too long. You have to move forward.”
The Cavaliers have made some slight tweaks to last season’s roster this summer. Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. have both joined, and project to have sizeable roles. Furthermore, Darius Garland underwent toe surgery and will hopefully be back to his best. Therefore, there are plenty of reasons to feel confident that the Cavaliers will be a contender again in the upcoming season, and potentially, for years to come.
Cavaliers’ Garland Likely to Miss Training Camp
During the same discussion with Fedor, Atkinson admitted that he doesn’t expect Garland to be ready for the Cavaliers’ preseason training camp.
“I don’t,” Atkinson said. “That’s not a medical opinion or anything. That’s just my feeling on the situation. Under promise and over deliver. We’re not going to rush or push this. If he is ready, then great. I will rely on (trainer) Steve (Spiro) and Darius to tell me. But I don’t expect that.”
The hope is undoubtedly that by giving Garland time to heal, the injury will have less chance of becoming a long-term issue. After all, if Garland is at his best, Cleveland is a much harder team to beat. The All-Star guard helps tie everything together on the offensive side of the floor.
Cavaliers Urged to Sign Seth Curry
In an August 1 article, Rohan Brahmbhatt of ClutchPoints pinpointed Seth Curry as the missing piece of the Cavaliers puzzle.
“If there’s one move the Cavaliers can make to complete their roster and raise their floor in the playoffs, it’s signing Seth Curry,” Brahmbhatt wrote. “…For a team like Cleveland, which sometimes stagnates offensively in half-court playoff settings, especially when Mitchell or Garland is trapped, Curry provides crucial off-ball gravity. His mere presence on the wing stretches the floor, opens driving lanes, and gives defenses second thoughts.”
Curry is currently an unrestricted free agent. If the Cavaliers believe that his floor spacing can help elevate their chances of success, they would be wise to target him. The former Charlotte Hornets sharpshooter would likely be available on a minimum deal. Furthermore, he would help bridge some of the scoring load the team will lose as Garland continues to recover.
Then, once the Cavaliers are at full health, they would be incredibly difficult to shut down, especially in the half-court. Brahmbhatt might be onto something, and it could help ease the pain of the 2025 postseason.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Atkinson Makes Candid Admission on Cavaliers’ Playoff Exit appeared first on Heavy Sports.