The regular season is quickly coming to a close, but the Cleveland Cavaliers still have things to figure out and some decisions to make before the playoffs begin.

With that in mind, here are three questions the Cavaliers must answer before the postseason. 

Dean Wade, Keon Ellis, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merill are all competing for the same job as the regular season wraps up: the starting small forward for the Cavs.

There’s an argument to be made for each player to start alongside Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

Wade is a true three-and-D player, Strus has the most playoff experience, Ellis is the best defender, Tyson brings unmatched energy, and Merrill is the best three-point shooter.

The biggest issue the Cavs are running into is time; Wade and Tyson are still recovering from injuries, leaving the team with a smaller sample size of which combination could work best. 

The biggest factor that could determine who gets the starting small forward job could simply come down to matchups and who Cleveland’s first-round opponent ends up being. Still, this predicament is something worth monitoring through the final two weeks of the regular season.

Jarrett Allen is back on the floor after missing nearly a month with a knee injury. Yes, that’s a massive boost for Cleveland, but there are still some questions about whether JA is fully healthy.

Allen said after Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers that he’s still sore and “definitely not 100 percent.” Cleveland’s center even admitted there have been times when he hasn’t been able to put a lot of pressure on his knee.

So far, in the two games Allen has played in since coming back, it doesn’t look like Allen has missed a beat. He’s scored 18.0 points and averaged 7.0 rebounds in his last two games in just over 18 minutes in each outing. 

That said, it remains to be seen how Allen holds up, as he's clearly playing through an injury, and whether that’ll affect his production on the floor. How Allen looks while playing on his knee over the next two weeks of games could be a big indicator of his role in a postseason series.

The Cavaliers have plenty of scoring options on their roster. Cleveland shouldn’t be worried about its ability to score against just about any opponent.

The difference between a deep playoff run and an early exit this spring will come down to the defense, and Kenny Atkinson even recently admitted that.

No matter who Cleveland’s opponent is, what their record shows, or whether or not the Cavs have clinched a playoff spot, defense must be a focus over the final six games of the regular season. 

Cavs Roundtable also offers a fan community and message board. We’d love to have you join us to talk all things Cavs. Click the “Join” button at the top of the page to join our community for free.