Why The Cleveland Cavaliers' Core Four Could Work In The Future

With the extension of center Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers will have to look internally to make the core four work.

Apr 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and center Jarrett Allen (31) celebrate during the second half against the Memphis Grizzlies at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports / Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers have officially put all the rumors to rest that the team would be moving on from the core four after the recent extension of Jarrett Allen.

Extending Allen should not come to a surprise, as Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman made it obvious that he wanted to keep his top players back in May:

Back in May, #Cavs President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman outlined why he believed keeping the core four together could work. Over the past month, the team has locked up Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and now Jarrett Allen. https://t.co/VFFE9CFFUC pic.twitter.com/3DEFIUBtJ9

— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) July 31, 2024

It's pretty clear that Altman and the rest of the front office believes in the core four, as they stuck to the plan for the entire offseason. In order for Cleveland's current roster to succeed, there are three critical factors that need to be instilled within the roster:

Emphasis On Evan Mobley's Outside Game

One of the biggest keys that should already be happening during the offseason is the development of Evan Mobley and his ability to play outside of the paint.

Mobley is a force to be reckoned with down low, but now that Allen is here to stay, it will be even more important for Mobley to do damage on the perimeter. In this modern age of basketball, teams have moved away from having two big men on the floor and have turned to a "stretch-four" mold. With the Cavaliers' current backcourt, there needs to be more spacing on the floor to allow them to create more opportunities.

There were times last season where Mobley looked to be making strides in his efforts to play more outside, but there was not enough to have a true impact.

Rebuild Darius Garland's Confidence

Everyone knows that Cavs point guard Darius Garland is capable of playing at a high level in the NBA. On a recent episode of his podcast, both Patrick Beverley and former teammate Collin Sexton praised the 24-year-old for his skill set.

If Garland's recent dip in production came from the acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, then the Cavaliers will have to restore the confidence in the young guard. Obviously, the team did something that helped him go from one of the most inefficient players in the NBA to a star.

Whether it's a matter of gaining maturity or designing plays to do get the ball in Garland's hands more frequently, there needs to be measures taken to get him back to his All-Star form.

All-Around Development of Young Players

Looking past the top four players on the Cavaliers' roster, head coach Kenny Atkinson needs to elevate the young talent on the team.

Isaac Okoro, the Cavs first round selection in the 2020 NBA Draft, has yet to find another home during free agency. The rumors of him being a candidate for a sign-and-trade deal are still floating, but if the Altman is truly running it back with last year's squad, he will be back in the wine and gold.

The former Auburn product has proven to be an above-average defender in late-game situations, but can also be a liability on the offensive side of the ball. In order for Okoro to take the next step in his career, he will need to improve offensively.

Along with Okoro, Cleveland's recent first-round pick Jaylon Tyson must become a key role player for the team. Tyson averaged just shy of 20 points per game in his final collegiate season, and he was drafted with the thought that he could blossom into a scorer off the bench. Atkinson and the rest of the coaching staff will have to develop him quickly in order for him to become the offensive bench weapon that the Cavs desperately need.