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Cleveland Cavaliers: Optimizing De’Andre Hunter

2025-08-04T15:30:00-05:00

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Hunter has yet to be maximized.

Trading for De’Andre Hunter in the middle of the 2024-25 season was perhaps the biggest move the Cleveland Cavaliers have made since selling the farm for Donovan Mitchell in 2022. Hunter fit all of the theoretical boxes this team had been missing — but there wasn’t enough time for him to grow into that role last season.

Can Hunter make good on his potential in his first full season with the Cavs?

Cleveland has long needed a true small forward with legit size and athleticism who can hang on both ends of the floor. Max Strus has been formidable, but he lacks the size to be a full-time option. Isaac Okoro also lacked size, as well as the offensive skills to make things work. And the Cavs hit a dead end with Dean Wade, as he’s simply not a starting-caliber player.

All of this points to the obvious. Hunter should be the Cavaliers' starting small forward next season.

He’s a 6’8” athlete with a 7’2” wingspan and a strong enough frame to competently defend opposing wings. Hunter is a physical tool the Cavs have been missing. Why would they deprave themselves of this any longer?

It made some sense why the Cavs stuck to their original starting five last season. The team won 64 games and Strus was consistently playing above his head as a makeshift small forward. His ability to space the floor and serve as a tertiary playmaker makes Strus a better-than-expected fit in the starting lineup.

But Strus can effectively do all of those same things from the bench. In fact, he’ll have more opportunity to handle the ball and play in tandem with Evan Mobley, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen or Darius Garland when he’s not crowded by all of them at once. A bench lineup featuring Strus at the two and Mobley at the five should make for an effective combination.

Again, it’s understandable why Kenny Atkinson didn’t erase his drawing board and reconfigure his rotations in the middle of last season when everything was going exactly as planned. Hunter was cementing an already strong bench — and Strus was complementing a starting lineup that was crushing opponents.

Hindsight tells us this was a mistake.

The Strus starting-five finished in the 67th percentile for Net Rating. That’s fairly underwhelming for a team that won 64 games. Meanwhile, Hunter, next to the core-four was perfect, placing in the 100th percentile in only 73 possessions.

It was a mistake not to tap deeper into that lineup. How much of their success would translate to a larger sample size? They certainly would have fallen below the 100th percentile — but they’d likely still be elite. Exploring fewer than 100 possessions with this lineup together was a fatal mistake.

Next season can’t afford the same mistake. Hunter makes too much sense as the ‘finishing touch’ to stay on the bench. Maybe this road leads to a dead end — and maybe Strus will ultimately return to the fray as the starter. But not having an answer to this would be unacceptable.

A full year of Hunter being in Cleveland should bring clarity. They’ll be able to work with him in training camp and the early stages of the season to find the best fit. It won’t be as hectic as his mid-season arrival that came during a historic run for the franchise.

The Cavs have remained patient with every move they’ve made. It makes sense that they followed the same line of thinking with Hunter. But there’s no more time for caution. It’s time to throw everything at the wall and find what sticks. Hunter needs to be optimized as a starter next season.

Cavs get unfortunate injury update on Darius Garland

2025-08-04T12:13:19-05:00

Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The All-Star guard had surgery in June to alleviate a mysterious toe injury, but is still months away.

Cleveland Cavaliers point guard Darius Garland is not expected to break ready for training camp in a few months as he continues to recover from toe surgery, according to Chris Fedor of cleveland.com. Garland suffered the toe injury in March, missed a few games before returning, and re-injured the toe in the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. Despite coming back in the semifinals against the Indiana Pacers, Garland looked a step slow and out of sync.

As it turns out, there was a good reason for that. Garland reportedly felt like he was playing with nine toes towards the end of the season.

“I got my 10th toe back,” Garland said via Fedor. “I had no big toe at the end of last season. I had like nine toes. I felt like I was playing with nine toes. That’s how I would describe it.”

“Any type of movement was tough. Putting on a shoe was tough. Walking. Running. It was difficult.”

Garland essentially not having a functional big toe would explain why he looked so off against the Pacers. While disappointing that he was able to remain relatively injury free until it counted, it is somewhat relieving that it was injury related as opposed to simply not playing well. The nature of the surgery he received remains shrouded in mystery, but what is clear is that he will not be ready for training camp.

When asked if Garland will be full-go within the next few months, Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson simply said he doesn’t.

“That’s not a medical opinion or anything,” Atkinson told Fedor. “That’s just my feeling on the situation. Under promise and over deliver. We’re not going to rush or push this. If he is ready, then great. I will rely on (Senior Director of Player Health/Head Athletic Trainer) Steve (Spiro) and Darius to tell me. But I don’t expect that.”

Those are pretty plainly put statements from Atkinson, and ones that demonstrate just how serious the injury to Garland was and how methodical his recover will be as a result. The Cavs may be relying on Lonzo Ball and Craig Porter Jr. out of the gate, as well as some Donovan Mitchell point guard minutes until Garland is fully ready to go.

Random Cavalier of the Week: Nate Thurmond

2025-08-04T06:00:00-05:00

Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images

Taking a look back at a local legend.

We’ll be highlighting a random Cleveland Cavaliers player from the past every Monday for the remainder of the offseason. The first Cavalier we’re taking a look at is Hall-of-Famer and local legend Nate Thurmond.

Thurmond is one of seven Cavalier players who have their jersey retired. Unlike the rest, his number isn’t really retired for what he did on the court for Cleveland.

Thurmond played only 114 games for the Cavs and averaged just 5 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest in mostly a backup center role. That, obviously, isn’t too impressive. But there is a reason why his number is retired by the Cavs.

Thurmond was the first Hall-of-Fame player from Akron to make it big in the NBA. He was a standout at Central High School, where he played alongside another NBA player, Gus Johnson. Thurmond went to college at Bowling Green after turning down a scholarship from Ohio State.

This worked out well as Thurmond became a first-team All-American, led the Falcons to two tournament bids, and was good enough to be drafted third overall by the Golden State Warriors, then the San Francisco Warriors.

Thurmond was a backup to Wilt Chamberlain in his rookie season. That didn’t last long as the Warriors traded Chamberlain to the Philadelphia 76ers, which allowed Thurmond to make his way into the starting lineup. Thurmond thrived in that role as he became known as one of the best centers in the league.

Defense was Thurmond’s calling card. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called him the toughest defender he faced. The rest of the league saw that as well as he was named to an All-Defensive and All-Star team seven times in his career. That was good enough to be selected to both the 50th and 75th NBA anniversary teams.

Thurmond was well past his prime when he finished his career with his hometown team. He didn’t have the mobility that made him one of the best defensive centers of his time anymore, but he still managed to play a supporting role on one of the most important teams in franchise history.

The Miracle at Richfield team that took down the Washington Bullets was a seminal moment for the franchise. It was their first true accomplishment since being an expansion team six years earlier. It was also their only real success until the Mark Price and Brad Daugherty era.

Thurmond played a reserve role in the seven-game series win over the Bullets. He was thrust into a starting role in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics in 1976 because of an injury to Jim Chones. He performed well, but the team fell short in Game 7. Boston would go on to win the Finals in six games over the Phoenix Suns.

The Cavs do have some questionable jerseys that have been retired. Thurmond is one of them as his on-court impact with Cleveland was minimal. That said, he was one of the best players in his era and a local legend. Thurmond’s impact on Ohio basketball is meaningful. That, combined with what he was able to provide for one of the franchise’s most memorable teams is something worth honoring.

Thurmond passed away in 2016 from leukemia.

Cavs release preseason schedule

2025-07-31T16:44:30-05:00

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

The Cavs will be back in action during the first week of October.

The NBA regular season schedule hasn’t been released yet. But we do know when the Cleveland Cavaliers will next take the court.

Cleveland’s preseason schedule was announced earlier today. The dates and time can be seen below:

Home vs. the Chicago Bulls - Tuesday, Oct. 7, 7 P.M.
Away vs. Chicago - Thursday, Oct. 9, 8 P.M.
Away vs. the Boston Celtics - Sunday, Oct. 12, 7 P.M.
Home vs. the Detroit Pistons - Tuesday, Oct. 14, 7 P.M.

There isn’t too much that immediately jumps out about this schedule. These are just preseason games. The opponent doesn’t matter too much in this context. The Cavs went 0-4 last preseason and then went on to win their first 15 games of the regular season. So, there isn’t too much to take away from the results.

One thing I would note is that the Cavs don’t have to wait long to face former teammate Isaac Okoro. He’ll get two opportunities to go against his former team with the Cavs taking on the Bulls twice in a row to open the exhibition slate. The same is true for Lonzo Ball.

We still have over two months before the preseason starts. Before then, we’ll have media day and the start of training camp. We are getting closer to basketball starting up again.

Cleveland Cavaliers: Jaylon Tyson has a golden opportunity

2025-07-31T06:00:00-05:00

Photo by Logan Riely/NBAE via Getty Images

Tyson can earn minutes this season.

Young NBA players, specifically those still trying to find their place in the league, can seldom afford to miss capitalizing on opportunities to prove themselves. Jaylon Tyson will get a fair shot at earning minutes this season with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tyson was the 20th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. He had a stellar summer in Las Vegas before finding himself out of the rotation for his entire rookie year in Cleveland. This was primarily because the Cavaliers were on fire, winning 64 games and hardly needing a rookie guard to play minutes.

Next season will be different. Not only is Tyson a year older and carrying slightly heavier expectations — but the Cavs rotation should have more openings. Isaac Okoro is gone. Lonzo Ball, who is filling his place, has never been known for his availability. Pair this with losing Ty Jerome in free agency and an injury to Darius Garland that could hold him out for the first month of the season — and Tyson will have the largest runway of his career (so far).

Tyson is a 6’5” combo guard whose best moments in both Las Vegas Summer Leagues have come with him handling the ball. This is slightly concerning as his primary role with the Cavs would be playing without the rock, serving more as a catch-and-shoot threat who can occasionally create for himself.

Today’s NBA calls for versatility. Tyson, while early in his development, already has the foundations of a creator. He processes the floor well and has a competent enough handle to get to his spots. Polishing this aspect of his game while improving as a three-point shooter would make him a complete role player.

Just as important, Tyson must become an impactful defender. His bulky frame and decent athleticism give Tyson the tools to defend at the NBA level. But his motor and knack for tracking down rebounds could be the difference maker. Every team needs a scrappy role player who isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty on the glass.

Tyson has the potential to be a positive contributor on both ends of the floor. He’ll get a chance to sink or swim early on this season. If Tyson pans out, the Cavaliers will have a wealth of depth in their backcourt.

Cleveland Cavaliers need Darius Garland to put it all together

2025-07-30T06:00:01-05:00

Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images

It’s time for Garland to prove it.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have seen some fantastic things from Darius Garland. But every step forward has seemingly come with a major setback. Next season, Garland needs to put it all together and leave his detractors in the dust.

DG got the nastiest hesi itl? pic.twitter.com/bp9nL4FyPo
— Brett Usher (@UsherNBA) July 27, 2025

Garland’s career trajectory has been a roller coaster. He was once considered the worst rookie in his class. A few years later, he was a breakout All-Star who had the Cavs competing for a playoff spot in 2022. His stock fell again after a poor showing in the 2023 playoffs, followed by a nightmarish 2023-24 season.

Anyone who held out faith in Garland after 2024 was rewarded throughout the 2025 regular season. Garland rocketed to another All-Star season and was bordering on an All-NBA nod before faltering a bit in the second half of the year. Nonetheless, Garland’s electric 2024-25 campaign put him back into everyone’s good graces. Then... the playoffs happened.

We all understand that Garland’s postseason run was derailed by a toe injury. There was little chance Garland could replicate his on-ball magic without the mobility and shiftiness his game relies on. No one is destroying Garland for his performances against Indiana. We understand he wasn’t anywhere near full strength.

However, all of the twists and turns have left Garland’s career at a crossroads. He’s now underperformed in every postseason appearance. Injuries can explain two of those failures. Inexperience in his first run can justify the other. But at a certain point — you run out of explanations. Garland’s entering a pivotal year for his reputation.

There’s no way around it. If he gets injured again? Then you can’t reasonably trust Garland to stay healthy anymore. If he is healthy but underwhelms? Then you have bigger problems, such as, who can the Cavs find to play point guard moving forward?

The only way Garland walks away from next season as a winner is if he takes all of the flashes he’s shown in recent years and finally puts them together for a full-on fireworks show in the playoffs. He has to be the dazzling playmaker and shot creator he’s proven to be in the regular season.

This is true for everyone on the roster. The Cavs aren’t a fun story anymore. They’ve surpassed all regular season expectations and currently have a rivalry with the second round. No one is happy with that. Finding a way to translate their success to the postseason is what’s on everyone’s mind.

Garland should be at the front of this. He’s put on dominant displays in the regular season — but is still searching for his first playoff moment. This is the year DG needs to show he’s more than an occasional flash in the pan. It’s time for Garland to break through.

Larry Nance Jr. fits anything Cleveland’s frontcourt needs

2025-07-29T06:00:00-05:00

Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images

Nance could have a big impact on the Cavs.

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t been super aggressive this summer. They’ve only made a handful of moves. The most notable include trading Isaac Okoro for Lonzo Ball and signing Larry Nance Jr. to a veteran minimum deal.

We’re focusing on the latter move for today’s story.

Nance is entering his 11th NBA season and has played for six different franchises. He’s an athletic, 6’8” forward who has developed into a functional floor-spacer and quality rebounder. All of these skills translate directly to what the Cavaliers need.

Cleveland’s done a fine job filling out their roster with three-point specialists over the years. They even addressed their lack of a small forward by trading for De’Andre Hunter in February. But one thing they haven’t been able to find is a backup big. Nance can finally check that box for them.

Last season, Nance averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 19.3 minutes per game for the Atlanta Hawks. He only appeared in 24 games after suffering a season-ending shoulder injury.

At his best, Nance provides Cleveland with a rotational big who can play next to either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley. He’s got the offensive versatility to roam in the dunker’s spot or stand on the perimeter. He’s even shown enough playmaking to be a PNR partner with any of the Cavaliers’ ball handlers. Nance pairs well with Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Lonzo Ball or Max Strus. Really, he’s a good fit with anyone on this roster.

That’s what makes Nance so helpful. He’s a plug-and-play forward who, when healthy, can give the Cavs' bench whatever they need. Whether it’s cleaning the glass or serving as another wing defender — Nance is a servicable option for the end of any team’s rotation.

Staying available is the key. Nance hasn’t been the most durable player throughout his career. But if he’s able to play, Nance gives Cleveland a third big for the first time since Kevin Love. The value of giving Mobley and Allen some depth behind them can’t be overstated.

Mobley took a huge step forward last season. He might be able to take another if the Cavs continue to prioritize his development. Lineups that feature Mobley at center — with a true power forward next to him (Nance) — could unlock a new layer of Mobley’s game.

Of course, adding Nance won’t put this team over the top. Only the core four can do that. Specifically, Mobley himself. Having Nance only helps them navigate a long regular season and gives Kenny Atkinson some lineup versatility in a playoff series. That’s nothing to scoff at.

Reviewing the effectiveness of the Cavs’ most-used lineups from last season

2025-07-28T08:12:26-05:00

Cleveland’s depth allowed them to roll out many effective lineups last season.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ depth was one of their main advantages last season. They were able to run out numerous and varied lineups that worked.

It also helped that their four best players — Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen — played extremely well together. This all added up to a 64-win regular season.

Let’s take a look at Cleveland’s most-used lineups and what made them work.

The starting five

Lineup: Garland, Mitchell, Max Strus, Mobley, and Allen

Minutes played: 243

Offensive rating: 118.7 (57th percentile)

Defensive rating: 107.3 (74th percentile)

Net rating: +11.5 (67th percentile)

This group was an incredibly effective starting lineup despite not living up completely to their offensive potential. The offensive rating was good, but it suffered since this lineup simply wasn’t able to consistently hit outside shots (36%, 34th percentile).

This was a positive step for a lineup that struggled to find its rhythm the previous season (+2.3 net rating, 52nd percentile). There’s a lot of things that you could point to as reasons this happened, such as the offense being better under Kenny Atkinson, Allen and Mobley figuring out how to play with each other, and better health in the regular season, among others. But whatever the reason, this was encouraging to see.

Despite the progress in the regular season, this lineup struggled throughout the playoffs. They posted a -3.3 net rating (30th percentile) in the postseason with a 112 offensive rating (35th percentile) and a 115.3 defensive rating (35th percentile).

It’d be easy to point to Garland and Mobley’s injuries in their second-round series against the Indiana Pacers as reasons why they struggled. Neither were at full strength (even though Mobley looked better, he had a hard time moving laterally on defense) which naturally caused them to play worse. But this lineup also had a negative net rating against the Miami Heat in the two games they appeared in (-5.1 net rating) when the group was mostly healthy.

The Cavs as a whole will be judged by how they perform in the playoffs going forward. This starting lineup is no different. This group will need to be better in the postseason if Cleveland is going to ever replicate their regular-season success when the games matter most.

The starters with Dean Wade

Lineup: Garland, Mitchell, Wade, Mobley, and Allen

Minutes played: 197

Offensive rating: 117.8 (51st percentile)

Defensive rating: 112.7 (53rd percentile)

Net rating: +5.1 (54th percentile)

Wade did a good job filling in for Strus when he missed the start of the last regular season. Surprisingly, the offense was mostly just as effective. The defense, more surprisingly, was worse.

Cleveland’s defense has historically been good when its three best interior defenders share the floor (100th percentile in 2022-23 and ‘23-24). Why that didn’t carry over this past season is anyone’s guess.

The starters with Isaac Okoro

Lineup: Garland, Mitchell, Wade, Mobley, and Allen

Minutes played: 160

Offensive rating: 123.3 (71st percentile)

Defensive rating: 118 (32nd percentile)

Net rating: +5.3 (54th percentile)

Lineup data is weird. What you want to take from five-man groups is up to you, as there can be a lot of different factors for why things broke how they did.

One of the more surprising things from this exercise is finding out that Okoro with the starters performed incredibly well on offense and poorly on defense.

It’d be easy to point at this and to say that we shouldn’t make too much of this. But I do think there’s one thing worth pointing out from this lineup.

The Cavs were able to get out in transition more often with this group and were more effective when they did so. They scored 1.66 points per transition play (91st percentile) with this lineup. Okoro’s ability to get into the open court and finish there is a big reason for that success. For comparison, the starters with Strus only scored 1.17 points per transition play (32nd percentile).

Cleveland doesn’t have Okoro anymore, but getting out in the open court is something that they should be able to do with Lonzo Ball. This is an area that he’s excelled in throughout his career.

Mobley + shooters = phenomenal offense

Lineup: Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Sam Merrill, Georges Niang, Mobley

Minutes played: 84

Offensive rating: 129.3 (87th percentile)

Defensive rating: 92.8 (99th percentile)

Net rating: +36.5 (99th percentile)

Mobley showed that he can play with Allen this past season. The Cavs posted a +11.5 net rating when they shared the floor. That number jumped up slightly to +11.9 when Mobley was on without Allen.

Mobley’s progression as a shooter allowed for lineups where he’s the center to be truly five out. Groups with him and Niang were phenomenal as they posted a 122.4 offensive rating and outscored opponents by +12.8 points per 100 possessions.

The Cavs weren’t able to replicate that success as well with De’Andre Hunter as the power forward with Mobley at center. They worked better offensively (128 offensive rating, 99th percentile), but struggled on defense because they couldn’t get rebounds (30.7% offensive rebound allowance percentage, 16th percentile). Even though Niang isn’t known for his rebounding, he’s still significantly better than Hunter.

This is also a good argument for Wade getting more time at the four next to Mobley. Groups where he’s the four and Mobley is the five worked incredibly well (+14.7 net rating in 663 possessions). Even though Wade isn’t a willing shooter, he provides spacing and rebounding, which can take some of that burden off of Hunter.

Mobley’s best position is and will always be center. Figuring out the lineups that allow him to showcase his abilities, like this one did last season, is something Atkinson’s staff needs to continue to emphasize.

The Caris LeVert effect

Lineup: Garland, Mitchell, LeVert, Mobley, and Allen

Minutes played: 82

Offensive rating: 128.9 (86th percentile)

Defensive rating: 106 (78th percentile)

Net rating: +22.9 (89th percentile)

The Cavs were really good without LeVert on the court last season (+9.3 net rating), but they were even better with him on (+11.5 net rating). Most of that is due to Atkinson’s offensive philosophy that emphasizes players who can create offense in many different contexts.

Spacing has taken over the NBA. Having a power forward who can shoot is a prerequisite, not a luxury anymore. In a context where everyone can shoot, playmaking is what separates the good and great offensive lineups.

LeVert can be a frustrating player. The shot profile often left something to be desired, but he was exceptional this past season when he had a clearly defined role and the freedom to operate within it.

Trading him for Hunter was the right and understandable move, but it came at a cost. Ball handling could be an issue this upcoming season for a team that has lost LeVert and Ty Jerome while only replacing that skill with just Ball — who isn’t someone who necessarily creates his own shot, even though he’s an exceptional ball handler.

The Cavs have the depth to put together many effective lineups this upcoming season. It’ll be interesting to see if Atkinson can replicate some of the success of these groups with different lineups this upcoming season.