Cavs' Free Throw Struggles Could Hamper Playoff Push

Cleveland's middle-of-the-pack free throw attempts and poor percentage could be exploited by opponents in the postseason.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:35am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting a fragmented basketball game, with overlapping planes of wine red, navy blue, and gold, conceptually representing the Cavaliers' free throw shooting struggles and their potential impact on the team's playoff performance.The Cavaliers' free throw struggles could become a major obstacle in their playoff push, as opponents look to exploit their big men's weakness at the charity stripe.Cleveland Today

The Cleveland Cavaliers are facing an underappreciated vulnerability heading into the playoffs - their struggles at the free throw line. Despite having two dominant big men in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, the Cavs rank just 14th in the NBA in free throw attempts and 20th in free throw percentage. This could become a major issue in tight playoff games, as opponents may start intentionally fouling Mobley and Allen to force them to beat them from the charity stripe. The Cavs' lack of rim-attacking players outside of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden is a key factor, as they don't generate the same level of contact that forces officials' whistles. The podcast crew highlighted how this issue has plagued other ball-movement, 3-point shooting teams in the playoffs, and the Cavs may face a similar challenge against potential first-round opponent Atlanta.

Why it matters

The Cavaliers' free throw struggles could become a major liability in the playoffs, as opponents may start intentionally fouling their big men Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to force them to beat them from the line. This could negate the Cavs' advantage in the paint and allow teams to stay in games despite Cleveland's overall talent advantage.

The details

The Cavaliers rank just 14th in the NBA in free throw attempts and 20th in free throw percentage, despite having two dominant big men in Mobley and Allen. This is partly due to the Cavs' lack of rim-attacking players outside of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, who don't generate the same level of contact that forces officials' whistles. The podcast crew noted that this issue has plagued other ball-movement, 3-point shooting teams in the playoffs, as referees tend to call the game tighter and favor more physical, paint-oriented teams.

  • The Cavaliers recently faced the Atlanta Hawks, where opponents were seemingly daring Mobley to beat them from the free throw line in late-game situations.

The players

Evan Mobley

A dominant Cavaliers big man who struggles at the free throw line, making him a potential target for intentional fouling by opponents.

Jarrett Allen

Another Cavaliers big man who, like Mobley, struggles at the free throw line and could be targeted by opponents in the playoffs.

Donovan Mitchell

One of the Cavaliers' elite shot creators, who could learn some valuable lessons about drawing fouls from teammate James Harden.

James Harden

The Cavaliers' veteran guard, whose history of gaming the system could be teaching Mitchell how to better draw fouls and get to the free throw line.

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What they’re saying

“'I feel like Jarrett and Evan for the most part are more finesse style bigs. They're going to get their share of calls, and I wonder if teams are going to start fouling Evan on purpose.'”

— Chris Fedor, Cavaliers beat reporter

“'Aside from Donovan and James, who else is attacking the defense off the dribble that is problematic for an opposing defense? It's certainly not Sam Merrill. It's not Max Strus. It's not Dean Wade.'”

— Chris Fedor, Cavaliers beat reporter

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

The Cavaliers' free throw shooting struggles could become a major issue in the playoffs, as opponents may start intentionally fouling their big men Mobley and Allen to force them to beat them from the line. This highlights the need for the Cavs to develop more rim-attacking players outside of Mitchell and Harden to draw more fouls and make teams pay at the charity stripe.