There is no denying the Cleveland Cavaliers are one of the best teams in the league so far in the 2024-25 NBA regular season. Going by just their win-loss record, one can say that the Cavs are the No. 1 team overall, as no other team has won 20 games through Wednesday.
The 21-4 Cavaliers, however, are not a team without chinks in its armor. They also shouldn’t be resting on their laurels, with still so much left to play and with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic breathing down their necks in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Cavaliers could be active ahead of the trade deadline in pursuit of a piece (or pieces) that can further strengthen their chances of not just making a deep playoff run but winning it all for the first time since 2016. One possible area Cleveland can improve is its forward positions.
“Pro scouts have been sharing that the Cavaliers are likely to emerge as a team on the hunt for wing help as the season progresses,” wrote NBA insider Marc Stein of The Stein Line.
“Sources stress that Cleveland isn’t aggressively pursuing upgrades yet, but the Cavs know — even amid a 21-4 start — that they will need all the perimeter defense they can muster to deal with Boston, New York and Orlando (if the Magic can get themselves healthy) to get out of the East,” Stein added.
Will the Cavs make a move soon?
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The Cavs’ backcourt and frontcourt both look solid. Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell lead the team’s guard room which also features the likes of Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome, who is having a breakout season “The Land.” Meanwhile, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen anchor the middle for the Cavaliers. The depth behind those two can also be something Cleveland would like to address, but perhaps not as much as the need for it on the wings.
As Stein mentioned, Strus is about to make his Cavs season debut, which is great news for the team. But there remain questions on the Cavs’ perimeter defense, which could be an issue in the playoffs. On the season, the Cavs are just 24th in the NBA with a 37.0 percent defensive 3-point percentage. Opposing teams seem to be finding success in taking advantage of Cleveland’s susceptible perimeter defense.
The Cavs have yet to make a telling move about shoring their wing position, but that’s one thing worth monitoring in the coming weeks.
