Cavs center Jarrett Allen had a double-double in Game 2 and Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals before his production dropped vs. the Pacers.

Cavs center Jarrett Allen didn't use any excuses for his rebounding numbers late in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Cavs fought. For stretches, they even looked like a team worthy of a deeper run. But for the second straight year, they fell one round short of the Eastern Conference finals. This time in five games to an Indiana Pacers team that exposed something more than just Cleveland’s tactical flaws — especially during the Pacers’ closeout win 114-105 on the Cavs’ home court.

After losing to the Pacers in the playoffs, the Cavs and Donovan Mitchell enter the offseason with questions to answer about the future.

Despite a coaching change, the Cavs ended their season in the same place — Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. So all eyes are on the roster.

The NBA’s second apron is basically a pair of handcuffs placed on franchises that consistently are over the NBA’s soft salary cap. But instead of it being just