The Cleveland Cavaliers will head into the 2025-26 season among the favorites in the Eastern Conference. Kenny Atkinson’s team will also have the added fire of being eliminated in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
During his annual basketball camp at Cleveland Clinic Courts, Cavaliers sharpshooter Max Strus noted how the Cavaliers are coming into the new season with one goal: competing for a championship.
“Winning,” Strus said. “Simply put. Getting the guys back together and doing what we do best – putting our best foot forward and making it farther than we did last year. A championship is still on the horizon for us, and that’s where we all have our mindset.”
Cleveland’s chances of coming out of the Eastern Conference have also been buoyed by both the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers being forced into a gap year. Both Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton are expected to miss next season due to Achilles tendon injuries.
Strus, 29, has been an important part of the Cavaliers roster since joining in 2023. In his two seasons with the franchise, he’s averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game, shooting 36.4% from deep. His presence helps provide some much-needed floor spacing, especially when Atkinson is running a double-big lineup.
Cavaliers’ Atkinson Confident Of Title Chances
Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com discussed the confidence within the franchise during a recent episode of the “Wine and Gold” podcast.
“There’s a lot of confidence from Kenny, and there’s a lot of confidence from people inside this organization that the Cavs are ready to compete for a championship,” Fedor said. “And they do believe that they learned what they needed to learn. We’ll see — has to play itself out. But they do believe they learned what they needed to learn from the latest playoff exit.”
Cleveland finished the 2024-25 regular season with a conference-leading record of 64 wins and 18 losses. The coaching staff will undoubtedly want a repeat performance in the upcoming season. However, they would likely welcome a few extra losses if it resulted in a strong postseason showing.
Cavaliers’ Defense Will Be Key
John Schuhmann of NBA.com recently pinpointed the Cavaliers’ defense as the area that needs the most improvement. Atkinson’s team ranked eighth in the NBA for defensive rating last season.
“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.”
Atkinson has more than enough defensive talent at his disposal. Evan Mobley won the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year award. De’Andre Hunter was acquired at the trade deadline to provide additional resistance on the wing. And, Jarrett Allen‘s explosiveness adds some weakside rim protection. The additions of Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. will also aid Cleveland’s overall defensive ability.
Therefore, Atkinson’s team should be well prepared to face any and all challenges next season. As such, the Cavaliers are right to be confident in their championship credentials. Now, they’ve got to prove they can overcome their recent postseason struggles.
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