64 wins the East and is the first joke! Should the Cavaliers lose to injury or to themselves?

The top seed in the Eastern Conference who won

64, was eliminated by the Pacers 1-4 in the second round of the playoffs - the Cavaliers' playoffs this year, and it's all polite to describe it as "collapse". Mitchell averaged 34.2 points per game and carried the team away, but was still unable to make the situation come true. This result looks unexpected, but there are actually signs of predicament - the offensive system failure, the wave of injuries, and the coach's on-the-spot mistakes, the three major "pits" completely dragged down the Cavaliers.

1. The offensive system collapsed: Garland was frustrated + the shooters group was silent, and the Cavaliers' firepower was directly "cut in half"

How strong is the Cavaliers' regular season offense? 121.7 points in 100 rounds (first in the league), and 38.3% from three-point shooting percentage (second in the league). Garland + Mitchell's pick-and-roll with double shots in the backcourt is simply "textbook level".

But in the second round, the system directly "collapsed" - Garland's decline was the deadliest: 20.6 points (40.1% three-point shooting percentage) in the regular season, and 14 points (16.7% three-point shooting percentage) in the second round. His three-pointer changed from "weapon" to "loophole". His opponent let him shoot, but he handed over an answer sheet of 0 or 1 of 6 and 1 of 5, and he completely became a "non-shooter".

Garland's downturn, the chain reaction directly exploded through the Cavaliers' rotation - G1, G2 He was absent due to injury, and the sixth man Jerome was forced to start, and G2 even directly scored 1 of 14 shots and only scored 2 points; other players such as Hunter and Mobley collectively missed the accuracy, and the three-pointers in the series were 29.4% (38.3% in the regular season).

The most heartbreaking thing is G4: The Pacers' three-pointers are accurate in halftime, but the Cavaliers' outside line is a sieve and are 41 points behind in halftime. Mitchell was surrounded by heavy troops from his opponent (34.2 points per game), and no other players could stand up and share the burden, and the offense was completely paralyzed.

2. Injury wave: core rest + main reimbursement, defensive system "ripped with holes"

Cavaliers' injuries have been "burned" since the first round - Garland sprained the Heat's toe in the first round, and was absent from the first two games of the second round; forward defense player Hunter injured his right thumb, and inside core Mobley injured his left ankle. When he arrived at G4, Mitchell was injured while practicing during midfield and was forced to leave the court early.

Mobley's absence is the deadliest - he is the "number one core" of the Cavaliers' defense replacement and frame protection. Without him, the Pacers frantically played pick-and-roll, transferred Allen out of the penalty area, and easily got an open opportunity. The defensive loopholes were infinitely amplified, and the Cavaliers' "copper walls and iron walls" became "wind-leaking fences".

The Cavaliers have hardly played the complete lineup in the entire series - the tactical system in health cannot run at all, and both offense and defense are in chaos.

3. Coach mistakes: On-site adjustment "suffocation", ruining the on-site command of coach Atkinson, which can be called "disaster level".

G2 is the turning point of the series - the Cavaliers led 14 points in the final quarter, and the Pacers' strongest five-man team chased points, and Atkinson actually sent a substitute lineup to deal with it; in the last 27.5 seconds, the Cavaliers sent the bottom line, and he also asked the Pacers to call the timeout; in the sideline round, he gave up the ball; the most outrageous thing is that when the Pacers speeded up wildly, he did not call the timeout to adjust the defense, and allowed the opponent to play a fast attack, and was finally defeated by Halliburton.

G3 The Cavaliers changed to joint defense due to injury and won a goal at one point. But after passing this game, the Pacers immediately cracked the Cavaliers' joint defense in G4 and scored 80 points in the first half. But Atkinson insisted on using joint defense and failed to make timely adjustments, and the game lost its suspense early.

Compared with Pacers coach Carlisle - G2 Let Nembhad take over the ball and protect the injured Halliburton at the critical moment, G4 targets the joint defense precise strike, and its tactical flexibility is better than Atkinson.

Rank of the regular season ≠playoff tiger, the lessons of the Cavaliers deserve to be wary of all strong teams

Cavs' defeat, and is a typical case of "strong regular season" and "weak playoffs". Their offense relies on shooters and double-gun pick-and-roll, but they cannot withstand the defensive intensity of key battles; their lineup is highly dependent on health, but they are crushed by the injury wave; the coach's on-the-spot adjustments are broken, destroying key opportunities.

The playoffs are never a "data battle", but a comprehensive contest of "resilience + adjustment + health". The Pacers rely on more stable projections, healthier lineups, and smarter tactics. The Cavaliers' 64 wins are ultimately just "a medal of the regular season" and not a "death-free gold medal" in the playoffs.