Cavaliers are proof that doing everything right doesn't guarantee success

Winning a championship in the NBA is about more than building a team or managing minutes throughout the regular season. The Cleveland Cavaliers are learning that lesson the hard way. 

Following their loss on Sunday, the Cleveland Cavaliers trail the Indiana Pacers, 3-1, in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Kenny Atkinson's team is one loss away from elimination. 

Coming into the playoffs, nobody expected Cleveland to hit such a significant rough patch in the second round. Yet, a string of injury issues has derailed the team's push to make the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter and Evan Mobley have all missed games since the second-round series began. To make matters worse, Donovan Mitchell left Sunday's game in the first half due to injury. That ailment could keep the All-Star guard out of Cleveland's must-win game five on Tuesday.

"I'm told he had an MRI today," ESPN's Shams Charania reported on a May 12 episode of "The Pat McAfee Show." "He's been diagnosed essentially with a re-aggravation of an ankle injury that he's been dealing with. So he re-aggravated his ankle, and I'm told it's expected that he's going to be a game-time decision for Game 5 ... (Missing Game 5) would be a devastating blow for the Cleveland Cavaliers, especially in a must-win game for them as the Pacers are up 3-1."

The Cavaliers have been lauded as a team that has navigated the rebuilding phase with expertise and patience. They developed young talent, drafted well and found a star that fit their system and vision. They're the poster child for how to rebuild a roster the right way. Yet, despite their solid approach, their season is still dangling on a knife's edge.

Cleveland is learning a tough lesson: Sometimes you can do everything right and still lose. You can't game plan for your best players to suffer an injury. And you can't foresee four members of your primary rotation dealing with concerning bumps simultaneously. 

Atkinson is a fantastic coach. He has transformed the Cavaliers' roster in his short time with the team. However, this postseason is a learning curve for him. This is how he will learn what type of rotation players the team needs moving forward, and, most likely, that will be more multi-skilled players who can fill multiple positions.

Cleveland's season isn't over, at least not yet. Unfortunately, whether the Cavaliers come back or get eliminated, the lesson remains the same. The roster is still one or two moves away from being ready to contend for a championship. And even then, they will need a stroke of luck along the way.