2026 Elimination Ruminations: Cleveland Cavaliers

I was waiting for weeks for the Cavs to get eliminated just to say that, I hope they didn’t promise the Beard a max extension when they acquired him (like Morey reportedly did).  And now that I’ve done the research, oh sh*t, dude has like a $45mil player option(!) for next season.  And there’s no way he’s going to turn that money down, not at this stage in his career.

If this were the NFL, where the risk of serious injury is a lot greater, I’d say that Harden needs to retire already because after his stint with Cleveland, whenever it ends, I don’t think any team is going to really want him again, at least not for any type of star-level money, regardless of how potent he may be offensively.

None of this is meant to be an insult against the Beard.  The Cavs are a good watch, and whether the Knicks win a championship, Haliburton comes back or whatever, with a full season of Harden, I’m totally expecting them to be the number-one seed out of the East next season.  Like this squad is built for the 82-game grind.  They’re the only team I can think of off the top of my head that not only have two allstar level PGs (if you consider Mitchell as one), but furthermore, they two have totally different looks.  In other words, the Cavs play different dependent on which one of them is running the show.

SHOUTOUT TO DARIUS GARLAND

But their braintrust made two big roster mistakes this season.  First was trading Darius Garland.  Why?  Because last postseason, when they got embarrassed by the Pacers, the excuse was ‘Garland is injured’.  So if that’s the case, now that he’s back, let’s at least give him another chance to see if he can compete in the playoffs and be ‘healthy’ throughout, you know, if he was the difference between them failing and potentially making it out of the East.

Second, it doesn’t wholly make sense why they traded him for Harden.  Why?  Because going back to that two PG thing, the argument was already that Darius and Spider’s styles overlapped, and that Mitchell, all things considered, should be given the keys to the car.  Instead, they turned around and gave them to the Beard, in a manner of speaking.

NO BEARD, NO CRY

James is a lot better than Donovan at getting all of his teammates involved.  It’s also cool that when Harden is running the show, Mitchell gets a chance to lay back and rest, until he’s really needed to explode.  But like I said, that kinda confusion, if you will, is good for the regular season but not so much for the playoffs - not against one of the handful of teams that's actually deeper and more talented than Cleveland.  The way the Cavs got to the ECF, given their talent and depth, wasn’t too convincing.

Maybe we can say that, with time, they all will mesh better.  Or rather, as optimistic(?) fans(?) we have to say that, because there’s no way the Beard is going to opt out of that payday.  So we’re going to get another season of this if we want it or not, because even though some of the lower-rung teams may be willing to take on Harden and his contract - I'm thinking something like the Blazers for instance - let's not forget he’s diva-ish and isn’t likely to play for a squad that doesn't look like a contender.  That can be a real problem, i.e. an overpaid player demanding to play on a contender - and furthermore, the contender being dumb enough to give him that money.

So by the looks of things, the one who’s going to have to bite the bullet - be scapegoated, if you will - is Jarrett Allen.  He’s made a name for himself as sort of this perennial DPOY type.  But given the way the Pistons ran all roughshod in the paint, against both Allen and Mobley, it's obvious that the former, not to blame it all on Jarrett, but he's lost a step or two.

He’s still good for lobs and putbacks and stuff like that, which is needed playing alongside Mobley, who prefers the perimeter.  But with that in mind, the Cavs could still use an upgrade.  And it doesn’t have to be a C per se but even one of those brolly type wings like Sengun or Anunoby.  But instead, you know, that money is going to the Beard.

LET’S GO KNICKS(?)

Even though I was expecting NYK to fuck up in one way or another instead of reaching the Finals, I also said, way back at the beginning of this season, that the East was theirs to lose, but lose it they didn’t.  So, give props where props are due.  They have the most all-around talented starting five in the league, and sticking together another season, instead of hastily blowing it all up, has paid off.  Also, unlike last year, everyone is ‘healthy’ this postseason, and they’ve also buttressed the bench.

The reason I'm glad they made it, more than anything, is because they’d be the best matchup for the Thunder.  Taking nothing away from the Spurs, but the way OKC’s roster is built, obviously you’re going to need more than a Wemby to beat them in a seven-game series.  And even if San Antonio does win, they’re probably going to be too worn down to really compete with the Knicks.

NYK and OKC are the two deepest, most-talented teams in the league, and thankfully they’re in different conferences, so it’s only right they should meet.  Also, their contest will finally settle the young vs. old debate, in a way.  You don't see young bucks like Jared McCain getting run on the Knicks.

Also, one last shoutout to Halliburton and the Pacers.  Let’s not forget that they were on the verge of totally upsetting the Thunder last season.  Too bad Myles Turner bounced, and they traded away Mathurin like that.  They should’ve at least gave themselves a chance to run it back and see if they could replicate the magic and, whether win it all or lose, go down as a legendary team in history.

CONCLUSION

Maybe in a perfect world, Lebron would return to the Cavs, and the Beard would head out to L.A. to play alongside - or rather let’s say replace - the perennially-injured Luka.

I recently read that whoever wins the WCF will be the favorites over the Knicks.  But check this out - they're bringing in the rowdiest of the rowdy.  I’m not so sure the Spurs can beat the Knicks in a seven-game series.

But as for OKC, even though they aren’t as all-around talented, they are younger, have better balance and greater depth (the latter particularly if everyone is playable).

2026 Elimination Ruminations: Lakers, Timberwolves, Pistons

LOS ANGELES LAKERS (4-6)

LAL put up a gutsy effort, especially in Game 6, but I'm glad this series didn't drag on any longer than it had to.  And the funny thing is, out of every team in the NBA, it can said that they're facing the biggest dilemma heading into the offseason.

It's easy to say ignore Lebron and use that money to acquire another star or a couple of quality players.  That makes sense, on the surface and is the approach I advocated coming into this season.

You can more or less take for granted that, if the Lakers do make the postseason, Luka "the Hamstring" Doncic will miss at least some games.  So part ways with Lebron and fortify the roster, with at least a couple of players just to be on the safe side, who can not only score but also play defense.  I mean, you can go for a single superstar with that money, but health across the board is pretty fragile these days.

But the reason this is a dilemma, and why doing so would be sorta a slap to the face of Lebron, is because he, more than anyone else on the roster (taking nothing away from Reaves or Hachimura), held the team down this postseason.  And say for instance, you replace LBJ with Giannis.  Would that really make a difference, championship-wise, given this roster?

I've been saying for years that Lebron needs to retire, but after this postseason, I kinda sorta feel differently.  Just the fact he's all old and shit makes anything he does more exciting.

But if intends to really chase another championship, he needs to go to a better team than LAL, which is funny thing to say, that they sorta need LBJ more than he needs them.  But what's obvious, considering that he's now been reduced solely to a scorer and facilitator, is ideally James should be running a second unit and rather than starting.  And when I think of a team that's a contender that unquestionably needs an offensive specialist while simultaneously mitigating that player's defensive deficiencies, I think the Pistons most fit the bill, so long as they don't lose the likes of Duran and Thompson.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES (6-6)

Yes, I do think it was insulting - to his teammates, the coaching staff and Minnesota's braintrust at large - that Edwards went and started congratulating the Spurs, in front of the entire world, with almost a quarter left in Game 6, even though the contest - embarrassingly for hte Wolves - was already decided by that point.  That's how it is sometimes when you have a teammate who knows or feels he's better than everyone else.  But it isn't a good look, and Anthony needs to watch out, because likability matters.  And it isn't like he hasn't let his team down in the playoffs before, nor was his most recent outing particularly jordanesque.  The way I interpreted that move was like he was advertising himself to the Spurs, but it ain't like they need him.

The further funny thing is that, the Timberwolves would probably be better off without Edwards and rather using his salary to score a couple of additional above-average players, the likes of Naz Reid or Jaden McDaniels.  Remember that they were able to finish off the Nuggets without Ant.

But I mean, I'm not trying to put it all on Edwards neither, because Randle and more surprisingly Gobert totally disappeared in Game 6.  Even the little guys on San Antonio's roster were basically dunking at all.

Randle and Gobert, given their size, are the two Minny players you would think would be most responsible for trying to defend Wemby.  Maybe Rudy was just tired by Game 6.  Every year, you hear people questioning his qualifications.  And every year, even though his team inevitably fails, he proves naysayers wrong, to an extent.  Like he isn't someone you can just up and replace, especially now that scorers are starting to attack the interior again.

But as for Julius, man.  I've been an advocate of his years for years, feeling that the Knicks devalued him for instance.  But he didn't really do his standing well with this outing.  He's one of those types players, in my opinion, who's really big but fails to use his size to his advantage. 

DETROIT PISTONS

The Pistons aren't what you would call a superteam.  Yet they secured the number one seed over squads like the Knicks and took the Cavs, who have a superior roster, to seven games.  This iteration reminds me of that 2004 Detroit squad who won a championship, in that they weren't the most talented either, though they obviously had some type of magic that these current guys have yet to claim.

It's obvious that these guys need more scoring, but in the form of who and at what cost?  Maybe they shoulda kept Ivey around?  Who did they trade him for anyway?  Oh, a couple of dudes that they didn't even play.

For most of the playoffs, Tobias Harris was sporting like an allstar and seemed to be poise to finally shake the pariah, scapegoat reputation he gained in Philly.  With the Sixers, almost every year when they flunk there's a scapegoat, with Embiid being exempt, though this time they got it right sacking Morey, if he was actually responsible for signing PG13 for that much money.

That said, as it currently stands I'm pushing the idea of Lebron going to Detroit.  Remember that you heard it here first. 

2026 Elimination Ruminations: Rockets, Sixers

HOUSTON ROCKET (2-4)

Somehow, I totally forgot to write about the Rockets when they got eliminated a week ago.  So I'm sitting here watching Thunder vs. Lakers and wondering how a team as mediocre as LAL made it all the way to the Second Round, how they're absolutely no match for their opponent.  And that's when I remembered the Rockets.

The Lakers, as far as I know, are the luckiest team in NBA history.  They exceeded most peoples' expectations this past season, but once Luka went down, I think everyone knew that was pretty much it. 

But let's say, if I were writing like a movie script for the 2026 NBA Playoffs that I wanted to make money yet also be believable, even if I knew LAL wouldn't make it to the end, I wouldn't want them getting eliminated in the First Round.  In other words, they really got lucky with that Durant injury, that seemingly popped out of nowhere and kept him out the entire round.

I won't go as far as saying that adding Durant but losing Fred "Care Bear" VanVleet (to injury) is one step forward, two steps backward.  But it doesn't make much difference anyway when both of them can't play.  So it's like this postseason's iteration of the Rockets was actually worst than the team they fielded last year with no Kevin, but at least then they had Fred. 

Without doing any actual research, I think it's safe to presume that Durant and VanVleet are the oldest players on the roster.  Dudes like Sengun, Thompson and even Smith Jr. are like from whole 'nother generation as far as the NBA is concerned.  That's something to consider, going into next year, that both of the scorers this team depends on were injured or and unable to help the team this postseason, and generally speaking, age doesn't go in reverse.

So yes, I do advocate Houston going out and looking for younger scorers rather than continuing to depend on the elders.  You know, do the age appropriate thing.  No one wants to see yet another First Round exit.  But since they're already contracted, I doubt if Kevin or Fred are going anywhere.  When making such gambles, putting your championship hopes on an aged Durant for instance, you have to have that dogged, Sixers' mentality of 'if only they're all healthy, then we'll win'.  Oh well.

By the time all is said and done, the Rockets' insistence on fielding these old dudes may result in the younger ones, who actually want to win or when they start demanding more money, bouncing.  I've been advocating for years that a superstar vet like KD needs to go to a young, up-and-coming team instead of always chasing instant championship, but it wasn't supposed to look like this.  If you look back, I'm sure I even said he should go to the Pistons.  But this is what happens when there's too much reliance on a superstar which these days, even with younger ones is not ideal.

PHILADELPHIA 76ERS (4-7)

The good news is that the Sixers' big 3 was actually healthy for the majority of the postseason.  The bad news is it not really mattering, arguably being a detriment even, when 'healthy', in this context, is a slow Joel Embiid whose defensive presence is, I would argue, even more of a nonfactor than Lebron has become.

Lebron's defensive decline is attributable to mileage + age.  The cause of Joel's is mileage + injuries.  Age, I would argue, can be counteracted more consistently than injury.

So the first question is, why do the Sixers insist on starting and giving major minutes to a hobbled C?  Part of it, as with James, lies in the fact that Embiid is still one of the best players on the team.

But that said, these failures have been going on for years already.  Dig through the blog if you want.  The signs that Philly needs to move on from Joel have been there for a minute.  It's not like a revelation and shit.  Dude didn't start playing basketball 'til he was 16 yet has made more money, in like just a decade, than most people with jobs they hate make in their entire lives.  Dude got a (questionable) MVP Award and an Olympic gold medal, you know, when he played for a stacked Team USA instead of a disadvantaged African squad.  So what else does he want?

If the answer is a championship, then the Sixers' braintrust, as outstanding as they are at times, needs to do better.  For instance, even though he has his moments, it's still not abundantly clear why they signed Paul George for $50+mil/year(!).  PG13 is an exceptional scorer, but he's no spring chicken either, and there's a lot of younger guys who can more or less score just as well (even if not as entertaining in doing so) and are less expensive.  One name that comes to mind off the top of my head is his former teammate, Normal Powell.

So what I foresee with Philly is sorta the same as Houston, though the latter is in a better position, as the former needs to embark on a mini rebuild.  The Rockets have a core of young players, so all they need to do is make a couple of adjustments.  The Sixers meanwhile, their core for the most part, looking to the future, only inarguably consists of Maxey and Edgecombe, which is a helluva combination.  But now, they need to put the types of players around that can complement such an undersized backcourt.  They need some of those strong, versatile, Knicks-like wings - I'm thinking someone like Scottie Barnes, but I know he isn't available.  And if Draymond is forced to move or whatever, he can probably help them a bit also.