From 4-0 sweep to 1-4 elimination! The biggest pseudo-strong team in the NBA was born, and you really should rebuild it

swept the Heat 4-0 in the first round, but was eliminated by the Pacers 1-4 in the second round. The offensive and defensive efficiency of the regular season were both top five in the league, with 15+ wins in two consecutive games. For the first time in nearly 20 years, the NBA has declined severely and has become the largest pseudo-strong team. Garland's performance in the playoffs was a disaster, and Mitchell was unable to support it. You should really rebuild in the offseason.

Text|Lao Kankanqiu

Editor|Lao Kankanqiu

The playoffs this season are indeed full of drama. "Traffic Teams" such as the Lakers, Warriors and the Clippers were eliminated one after another. The defending champion Celtics lost their mistakes in Jingzhou and failed in the second round. Even the Cavaliers, who were highly anticipated, were eliminated in an uproar, and the favorites to compete for the championship were basically wiped out. Except for the Thunder, no one of the other three teams that advanced to the semi-finals will reach the division finals, which is indeed full of drama. Most importantly, with the Nuggets and Celtics eliminated, the NBA has not defended its title for seven consecutive years, and for the first time in history, there are 7 different championship teams in 7 consecutive years. So who will become the next championship?

In fact, it is too early for who will become the next championship, but who is the biggest pseudo-strong team this season has come to life. I believe many people will choose the Cavaliers. Indeed, during the regular season, the Cavaliers had a balanced offense and defense, with almost no opponents, ranking first in the Eastern Conference with a record of 64 wins and 17 losses, with an offensive efficiency of 121.6 (first in the league) and a defensive efficiency of 113.1 (fifth in the league). The epic offensive firepower with an average of 122 points per game and a three-point shooting percentage of up to 38.5% is the best in the league.

is not just that. The Cavaliers have also scored 15+ consecutive victories this season. Among them, they won 15 consecutive victories at the start of the season, and in February it even scored 16 consecutive victories, becoming the first team in the NBA league to score 15+ consecutive victories twice in a single season in the past 20 years, setting an epic record. All this is attributed to the "backfield double tower" + "frontfield double gun" system created by the team's new coach Atkinson: Allen and Mobley form a "no-fly zone", while Mitchell and Garland's backfield combination averaged 44.6 points per game, with balanced offense and defense, which made people unlimited imagination.

Before the trading deadline, as the Cavaliers management strengthened the forward player Hunter from the Eagles' trading, it directly made up for the team's last shortcomings, and was hailed as a "sharp stroke" by the outside world, and the call for championships was growing. Entering the playoffs, facing the Miami Heat in the first round, the Cavaliers easily swept their opponents 4-0, and averaged a net win of up to 30.5 points, creating NBA history once again and directly increasing the team's morale to the top.

The next story is believed to have shocked many people. In the second round of home court, the Cavaliers suffered major reversals and fell into a desperate situation 0-2. Although G3 struggled to win a game with Mitchell's super god-like performance, unfortunately he lost again and was swept out by the Pacers' gentleman 1-4, becoming a rare "cliff-like collapse" team in NBA history. At this point, the super performance of the regular season is in sharp contrast with the embarrassing elimination in the playoffs, and also pushes the Cavaliers to the judgment table of the "pseudo-strong team". The Cavaliers' failure, in the final analysis, is like last year, the "backcourt double towers" in the playoffs have less regular season sharpness. The most important thing is that Garland, one of the "frontcourt double guns", lost himself again. Data shows that Garland averaged 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, with a 40% three-point shooting percentage, making him one of the most stable point guards in the league; but in the playoffs, his data plummeted to 14.3 points and 4.2 assists, and his three-point shooting percentage plummeted to 31%. Especially in the series against the Pacers, he even gave a humiliating performance of 2 of 11 shots and a plus-minus value-29 in the fourth game.

Obviously, except for Mitchell, Garland is not enough to become the second strong solution in adversity. Facing high-pressure defense, the fatal flaws of insufficient confrontation and hesitation in decision-making were exposed. The shooting percentage was only 28.3% at the critical moment of the second round, and the "Paper Tiger" characteristics were infinitely amplified:

Single offensive means: The shooting percentage in the 0-5-foot area dropped from 65.2% to 52.1%, and it was thrown when hit by a pinch. The shooting percentage is only 28.6% (44.3% in the regular season);

pick-and-roll launch failed: As the league's top pick-and-roll player (0.96 points per round in the regular season), after being targeted for shorting in the playoffs, the pick-and-roll frequency dropped by 23%, and the score fell to 0.67 points per round;

Defensive black hole attributes: Halibur was immediately shot down by 44.4% of the three-point shooting percentage, and 6.3 three-pointers were missed when not in the ball (only 3.8 in the regular season).

Sweep from 4-0 to eliminating 1-4, the largest pseudo-strong team in the NBA was born, and you really should rebuild it. Obviously, the Cavaliers' exit has reflected the current predicament of the team. Garland's four-year 194 million contract will expire in 2028. Whether to leave or stay, the management may need to make a decision in the offseason!