Every year, some NBA teams make power moves that catapult them up the standings, some stay stagnant, and others fade into obscurity. The second and third categories are what happened to some Boston Celtics rivals this summer.
One eastern team was bounced by the Celtics in the semifinals and is surprisingly bringing back an identical roster. One Western team whiffed on all of their big offseason targets and opted for nepotism in the second round of the draft. Another Western team is a dynasty dismantled with nowhere to go but down.
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers went 48-34 this past season, finishing as the fourth seed in the East and beating the Orlando Magic in seven games before falling to Boston in the postseason.
The only notable moves they have made have been signing extensions with Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. They also fired JB Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson, who has never coached a deep playoff run. Atkinson is historically the type of coach to lead a young team to the playoffs but not make a playoff team into a contender.
The Cavs are seemingly running it back with a nearly identical roster.
Meanwhile, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, and Miami Heat project to be better. That list doesn't even include the defending NBA Champs, who have retained their whole rotation.
Stagnancy kills in the NBA, and it will strike the Cavaliers in a big way. They are nothing more than a Play-In Tourney team.