What Does The Future Hold For Cleveland Cavs & Koby Altman?

What Does The Future Hold For Cleveland Cavs & Koby Altman?

Nick Pedone
3 years ago
3 min read

Another NBA regular season has come and gone and the Cavs weren't even close to the NBA Playoffs.

After not being invited to the NBA Bubble last season, the Cavs finished this year with a 22-50 record and missed the new play-in tournament seeding by 11 games.

Traditionally, upon a season's completion, NBA general managers and team leadership meets with the media to put the season to rest and look ahead to the offseason. It's an opportunity to communicate with the fanbase. 

For the Cavs, the season ended on Sunday and nobody from the organization has said a word publicly.

Are they trying to hide from the troubles of this rebuild?

GM Koby Altman's Future

Rebuilding a team when you lose the best player in the world is not an easy job, but that is what Altman was tasked with three years ago when LeBron left for Los Angeles.

Since then, Altman has drafted as well as he could have with luck not on his side in the NBA Draft Lottery. In 2018, he drafted Collin Sexton No. 8 overall, who has improved each of his three seasons in the league. Darius Garland showed solid improvement in his sophomore season and Isaac Okoro was coming into his own towards the end of the year. For a pair of No. 5 overall picks, their growth has proven to justify the selections.

One thing is certain, and that's the fact that Cavs owner Dan Gilbert has repeatedly shown impatience. He wants to see a contender in Cleveland. 

Altman's Shortcomings

While Altman has drafted well, he also has his swings and misses.

Despite adding young center Jarrett Allen at the trade deadline, Altman traded away the future Sixth Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson last season. Clarkson's shooting ability would have immensely helped the Cavs.

Thus far, Dylan Windler has done nothing but find a home on the team's injured list. Altman made up for that selection by trading up for Kevin Porter Jr. who was shipped away this season after an outburst in the locker room for a conditional second-round pick.

On top of the dysfunction with benching and trading Porter, who was one of their young core pieces, the Cavs also had to deal with the distraction of Andre Drummond, who was eventually bought out after sitting out for 16 games.

On top of all this, Kevin Love only played 25 games this year and threw an unforgettable tantrum on the floor, intentionally turning the ball over against the Raptors. Love's play on the floor has not backed up his massive contract and makes him nearly impossible to trade.

The Cavs are also on their third head coach since LeBron departed. John Beilein didn't even make it a full year and Larry Drew didn't even want the job. A lot of drama has ensued off the court without much improvement on the court.

What's Next For The Cavs?

Like almost everything Cavs-related, there seems to be no definitive answer. It was certainly mysterious that there were no interviews to be held at the season's end.

While Altman has made some hefty mistakes, does that warrant replacing him for another inexperienced GM and starting fresh?

One thing is for sure, with COVID-19 restrictions lifting in Ohio, this is an organization that needs to find a way to sell tickets and attract fans. Almost certainly, the owner is aware of that.

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