The Cleveland Cavaliers faced another disappointing playoff exit, losing to the Indiana Pacers in the second round after a highly promising regular season that saw them win 64 games. This outcome raises concerns about the current core of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, who have yet to advance to the conference finals. Despite improvements since their first-round exit last year, injuries and inconsistent performances hindered their playoff run. The franchise has not reached a conference finals without LeBron James, and the recent defeat has sparked discussions about whether to break up this iteration of the team.

Cleveland's head coach Kenny Atkinson was initially seen as a potential savior. However, the repeated playoff disappointments have left fans and analysts questioning the team's future. The Cavaliers must now evaluate their direction and talent pool to avoid stagnant growth, similar to what the Utah Jazz experienced with Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The question remains: can the Cavs regroup or should they look to restructure?