Three questions facing Cleveland Cavaliers ahead of 2024-25 season

The new NBA season is right around the corner. To help get ready for the 2024-25 NBA season, we're looking at three questions each NBA team could face next season.

Here, we have the Cleveland Cavaliers, who will look to build on their Eastern Conference semifinals appearance in the 2023-24 playoffs.

Can Kenny Atkinson unlock the Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell duo?

The Cavaliers hired Atkinson as their new head coach earlier this summer. It's Atkinson's first head-coaching gig since leaving the Brooklyn Nets in 2020 after amassing a 118-190 record with the rebuilding Eastern Conference unit.

Atkinson will bring an offensive-minded approach to the Cavaliers, which should help unlock the plethora of offensive talent at his disposal. However, the biggest task on his hands will be figuring out how to get the best from Garland and Mitchell as a duo. Both guards are incredibly talented, but thus far, they have struggled to shine when sharing the floor together.

Last season, t he Cavaliers scored +5.7 points more than their opponents when the duo were on the court together. That number drops to +2.9 when Garland is on the court without Mitchell but skyrockets to +7.3 when Mitchell is playing without Garland on the court. Atkinson must find a way to level that production so the team is dangerous regardless of the guard combination on the court.

Will Mitchell take his game to another level?

Mitchell has spent his tenure in Cleveland answering questions about his long-term future with the franchise. Until this summer, the All-Star guard remained tight-lipped on his intentions. However, he inked a three-year, $150 million contract extension, thus ending any immediate speculation regarding his future.

With the external noise now silenced, it will be interesting to see whether Mitchell can take his game to another level. After all, he's one of the best clutch players in the NBA and can lead Cleveland to a conference finals in the coming years.

Will Cleveland regret standing pat?

The Eastern Conference has gotten deeper this summer. The New York Knicks added Mikal Bridges, and the Philadelphia 76ers secured Paul George. However, the Cavaliers have chosen to stand pat and run it back with the exact rotation that took them to the semifinals of the Eastern Conference last season.

As such, Atkinson's team has likely slipped down the pecking order. There are now four elite teams in the East, meaning the Cavs could face an incredibly tough matchup to open their playoff run. Atkinson will be tasked with improving the talent at his disposal and re-inventing the team's approach in the hope that internal development will be enough for the franchise to keep pace with the leading pack.