Heading into the 2025-26 NBA season, many view the Cleveland Cavaliers as the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. Analysts are also discussing Kenny Atkinson’s roster among a small group of championship favorites.
However, John Schuhmann of NBA.com has raised a question about the Cavaliers’ defense. The analyst has pinpointed that side of the floor as the true swing factor in the franchise’s push for a championship.
“The East is seemingly the Cavs’ to lose, but they need to be just a little bit better defensively, both so they can increase their chances of reaching the Finals and because they can’t count on the shooting being so good for a second straight season,” Schuhmann wrote in his power rankings article.
“…Both Ball and Nance should help them on that end of the floor, with the former also able to get them more opportunities in transition. Ball’s 6.4 pass-ahead passes per game over his career rank second (to James Harden’s 6.7) among all players over the last eight years, according to Second Spectrum tracking.”
The Cavaliers ranked 8th in the NBA for defensive rating last season. In comparison, the Oklahoma City Thunder ranked 1st in defense and 3rd in offense. Atkinson will likely try to find a better balance between his team’s offensive and defensive output during his second season leading the franchise.
Cavaliers Back to Dominate the Eastern Conference
In a recent article for ESPN, Kevin Pelton explained why the Cavaliers should emerge as the dominant team in the Eastern Conference. He cited the additions of Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. as potential swing factors in the franchise’s push for success.
“We’ll see how much the Cavaliers get from Lonzo Ball, limited to 35 games last season by wrist injuries after 2½ years off the court due to his left knee. Ball was a low-cost pickup for Cleveland to help replace Ty Jerome, lost to help manage the Cavaliers’ sizeable tax bill. So too was bringing back Larry Nance Jr. as a third center. Despite the loss of Jerome, Cleveland looks like the favorite to win the East.”
Both Ball and Nance are solid and versatile defenders. If they can stay on the floor and mesh well with Atkinson’s system, they could play key roles in establishing a top-five defensive unit in the NBA.
Cavaliers Unlikely to Make Another Addition
Despite needing some additional frontcourt help, the Cavaliers expect to head into the new season with an open roster spot. Koby Altman will likely want to keep the franchise’s luxury tax penalties down. Furthermore, an open roster spot provides so much-needed roster flexibility closer to the trade deadline.
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com recently revealed that the Cavaliers are in no rush to fill the final roster spot.
“I just think the Cavs are in no hurry with this kind of situation,” Fedor said via the “Wine and Gold Podcast.” “I think they understand the makeup of this roster, and they understand that guy 14 is really not going to be a consequential member of the Cavs.”
Altman will eventually be forced to add a 15th player. However, that won’t be until the latter half of the season. As such, Atkinson will likely move forward with the roster at his disposal. Given the amount of talent Cleveland has to call on, they should feel very confident about a potentially successful season.
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