The Western Conference has undoubtedly dominated the 21st-century NBA. But after blockbuster trades and free agency moves, the Eastern Conference appears to be historically stacked.
Now, with newly emerged “super teams” like the Philadelphia 76ers and New York Knicks, the fully healthy Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics, and true contention from the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, and the Detroit Pistons, how can the Cleveland Cavaliers rise to the top?
Return of Cavs’ Big Four Raises Similar Questions
Once again, Cleveland is coming into the season with a big four of stars. This time, though, Darius Garland is out, and James Harden is in for his first full season as a Cavalier.
Next to Harden are the three veteran Cavs’ All-Stars: Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.
The core left a lot to be desired in their Eastern Conference Finals run last season, and things have arguably gotten worse for their future.
Harden and Mitchell both received massive extensions this offseason, leaving the team with little cap flexibility and an aging nucleus.
The same concerns are now coming with more money. The defensive backcourt of Harden and Mitchell will always be among the worst in the playoffs, and there has yet to be a substantial scoring leap from Mobley.
Cleveland had the second-fewest transition possessions per game (6.7 percentile), along with giving up the third-most transition points per game (24.4) in the playoffs. With the starting backcourt only growing less aggressive and athletic, these numbers could get even worse.
Evan Mobley was likely the team’s best player in the playoffs, and there was still a lot to be desired. His past three points per game in the playoffs are 16.0, 17.1, and 17.0. His lack of aggression, only attempting 11.8 field goal attempts per game, won’t push the Cavs over the hill.
As for Allen, his scoring and rebounding have consistently gone down each of the past three playoffs.
The Brightside of the Stars
Even though concerns remain for the bunch, there are still some positives.
For one, replacing Garland with Harden brings something Cleveland has been missing: consistency. Harden has played 70 or more games over the past three seasons and proved with the Los Angeles Clippers that he can keep an offense afloat in any situation.
With Kawhi Leonard off the court, Harden still managed to maintain an offensive rating above 117 over the past three years.
There’s no denying Garland’s supreme offensive talent, but he hasn’t been reliable in recent years. He played just 45 games last season with a lingering toe injury. He also played just five games in the 2025 playoffs, missing almost the entire second round.
Along with The Beard’s guaranteed court time, he also adds considerable size and rebounding to the point guard position that Garland couldn’t deliver.
Although Mobley hasn’t taken the offensive leap many hoped for, he’s still improved significantly in areas. In his last two playoff runs, he’s made leaps in both jump shooting and playmaking. He’s shot over 37% from three in these 26 games on nearly four attempts per game. Additionally, he was fifth among centers in assists per game last playoffs (3.9).
Continued development and a more aggressive Evan Mobley can truly change the Cavs’ playoff outlook.
New Additions Give Cavs Long-Awaited Skillsets
With the assets they had, Cleveland made the most of it.
Meleek Thomas
At No. 34 in the 2026 Draft, they took Meleek Thomas, an excellent fit for the bench. His superb shooting talent was on full display in Summer League. There, he led everyone in scoring (27.3 points) and hit nearly 44% of his 8.0 three-point attempts per game.
Thomas’ relentless shooting paired with Sam Merrill‘s sharpshooting will make the Cavs’ backcourt bench a nightmare on the perimeter. Last season’s guards, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, struggled mightily on the perimeter, each outside the top nine in the team’s three-point percentage.
The Arkansas guard also brings a solid 6-foot-7 wingspan to pair with his quick hands on defense, as shown by his 2.0 steals per game in the Summer League. His 3&D potential off the bench could help match Cleveland’s with anyone.
Peyton Watson
As for their other noteworthy offseason addition, Peyton Watson, he brings the Cavs everything they need.
The former Denver Nugget has been a well-established defender for years, but last season showed flashes of his true potential.
He had a staggering 6.5-point-per-game increase, a 9.9% increase in on-ball %, and nearly a 3% increase in true shooting. This offensive leap pushed him well beyond the Nuggets’ price zone and earned him his $88-million deal with The Land. His transition offense will also bring juice to the team, as he led Denver in points per possession in transition and was an 89th percentile player on the play.
Watson’s freshly tooled offense, combined with his elite athleticism and defense, gives the Cavs what they wanted from their last two splash-wing moves: Max Strus and De’Andre Hunter.
Hunter was a missed swing for Cleveland. He averaged 14.0 points on poor 42.3/30.8/86.9 shooting splits last season, while providing very little production in any other way. This underwhelming play led to him being traded at the 2026 deadline for Schroder and Ellis.
Max Strus had his moments, but he wasn’t always healthy. He played only 12 games last season and played average in the playoffs, averaging almost 10 points on 57.9 true shooting. His high-volume shooting and quick trigger should’ve been more effective for them, but in the end, he just didn’t make enough of an impact to stay out of the Watson deal.
The Watson addition is a noticeable upgrade at wing. He will provide much-needed perimeter defense and athleticism while hopefully maintaining his offensive game from last season.
How Do They Stick Out as East Contenders?
Even with the good moves on the margins, it will be difficult for the Cavs to be among the best in the conference.
In the regular season, it’s actually quite feasible. A full season of Harden’s offensive floor-raising puts a very high floor on the team’s regular-season win count. To add that with Donovan Mitchell’s guaranteed high-volume scoring and Mobley and Allen’s interior dominance, Cleveland has a real shot at another 50-plus-win season.
The playoffs are where the task is very difficult. As stated earlier, each of their stars has shown multiple times that they aren’t their regular-season-selves come springtime.
To ultimately change this, Mobley needs to finally increase his scoring volume while maintaining at least most of his efficiency.
It’s hard to imagine Harden, Mitchell, or Allen drastically improving in the playoffs, so the more realistic hope is to retain their postseason averages from last season.
Finally, the newcomers and bench unit need to live up to expectations.
Watson must be able to guard the opponent’s No. 1 scoring option while producing offensively. Having an athletic wing defender starting will make all the difference for Cleveland.
The bench should also be an upgrade from last season. They should have multiple elite shooters in Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Meleek Thomas. With young talent like Tyson and Nae’Qwan Tomlin, who has shown glimpses of great play, the hope is that one of them emerges as an ultra-reliable role player, but time will tell.
Which Matchups Work Best?
The roster’s new well-roundedness makes them match up well with a lot of the Eastern teams.
For the wing and forward-oriented teams like the Raptors and Celtics, they are comfortable with their defensive matchups and have enough three-point volume to make an incredible battle on both ends of the court.
Against fast-paced teams like the Pacers, 76ers, and Knicks, they have integrated enough plus-athletes throughout the team to stay steady. These teams are still probably their least favorable matchup, as Watson can only do so much for their full-court play, but they are more capable of keeping up with them than ever.
The slow, half-court focused squads, the Heat and Pistons, are the more dreamy scenarios for the Cavs. They have the size to contend well with Giannis Antetokounmpo, and have already proven they fare well with the Pistons, winning in seven games against them.
Obviously, for the Cleveland Cavaliers to be true tier-1 contenders, a lot needs to go right. Still, with a young bench, the new talent they’ve acquired, and their proven regular-season superstars, the ceiling is undoubtedly the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Leave a comment