Overview

• Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins warned that Cleveland’s regular-season titles will count for little unless its young core delivers deeper playoff runs.
• ESPN analyst Tim Bontemps identified roster health—specifically Darius Garland’s offseason toe surgery and Evan Mobley’s recovery from a playoff ankle sprain—as the biggest swing factor in the Cavaliers’ championship bid.
• General manager Koby Altman bolstered the roster this summer by adding Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. to shore up perimeter defense alongside midseason acquisition De’Andre Hunter.
• NBA.com’s John Schuhmann has argued that defensive consistency must improve if Cleveland is to translate its offensive firepower into postseason success.
• Coach Kenny Atkinson and team insiders express confidence that strategic load management and a renewed defensive focus will allow Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to contend for a title.