Why the Cleveland Cavaliers Lonzo Ball strategy will pay off later

The Cleveland Cavaliers improved on the margins this offseason, and that all started when they acquired Lonzo Ball in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.

Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman sent Isaac Okoro to the Bulls in the deal. According to reports, the Cavs decided not to offer a contract to free agent Ty Jerome, who ended up signing with the Memphis Grizzlies.

On Monday, Ball revealed that he will not be playing in back-to-back games with the Cavs this season. The 27 year-old said he expects to play about 20 minutes per game.

Ball has never even played 70 games in his seven-year NBA career. He’s been plagued by injuries over the last few seasons, appearing in just 35 games each of the last two years. In order for Ball to be a contributor to the Cavs, he has to be available.

The Cavs do not need Ball to be better than Jerome, who was a candidate for the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award last season. They don’t need the former UCLA guard to be better than Okoro, who was one of the best defenders in the NBA.

They just need Ball to be healthy and available during the months of April, May and June – when the lights are the brightest and the expectations are the highest they have ever been.

Altman has continued to bet on his core four of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. However, the last three postseasons, Mitchell was the only consistent member of this group to injuries.

While new Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson was much more calculated than J.B. Bickerstaff at managing minutes and load management during the regular season, multiple impact players were unable to play throughout the postseason. Keeping Ball healthy and available will be of utmost importance this season for the coaching staff.

If Ball can provide defense and shooting during the NBA Playoffs, it will be an instant upgrade. The Cavaliers also added Larry Nance Jr. and Thomas Bryant, doubling down on players who have the experience to rise to the occasion during the playoffs.

After the Cavaliers were upset by the Indiana Pacers in five games in the NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals, Mitchell told the media that nobody would care if the team went 82-0 next season. While that’s an exaggeration, Mitchell understands that fans will not be moved by an impressive regular season.

Instead, success for this team will be measured by what happens when the postseason begins. In Mitchell’s first season with the Cavaliers, they were bounced in embarrassing fashion in the first round against the New York Knicks. In 2023, the Cavs were bounced by the Boston Celtics because they weren’t healthy enough to take down Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

Getting to the NBA Playoffs is no longer acceptable for Mitchell, who desperately wants to win with the Cavaliers.

If Ball is available for a playoff push, he could become a key contributor to a championship contender.