Former NBA Star Sends Stern Warning to Cleveland Cavaliers

A former NBA star has sent a major warning to the Cleveland Cavaliers entering the playoffs.

Matthew Schmidt | Mar 21, 2025

Apr 12, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and guard Darius Garland (10) talk in the fourth quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers are suddenly mired in a three-game losing streak, their longest such stretch of the season.

While losing streaks obviously happen, they also sometimes shed light on a team's most prominent issues, and former NBA star Jeff Teague envisions one potential problem with the Cavaliers: no consistent third scorer behind Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland.

During a recent episode of the Club 520 Podcast, Teague revealed his concerns for Cleveland heading into the playoffs and actually thinks the Cavs could be in trouble as early as the second round.

"For them to win in the playoffs, Donovan Mitchell and [Darius Garland] got to combine for 50-plus," Teague said. "If they don't combine for 50, it's going to be rough. Because in the playoffs, the role players, they don't always be as good as they are in the regular season. ... We worried about that second round."

The Cavaliers actually did have this issue last year, as their lack of scoring depth proved to be a significant issue. However, Evan Mobley has stepped up this season, so perhaps he could serve as that reliable No. 3 for them in the playoffs this time around.

Teague does have a point, though: Cleveland probably won't be able to rely on Ty Jerome and some of its other role players as much in the playoffs as it has in the regular season, which puts more onus on Mitchell, Garland and Mobley to deliver.

As it stands, the Cavs would face either the Indiana Pacers or Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the postseason, and neither club would represent an easy matchup for the Cavaliers.

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