What\u2019s next is assertiveness and the confidence to dominate possessions. Kenny Atkinson\u2019s offense gives Mobley a new kind of space, both literal and mental. He\u2019ll have the freedom to read, react, and impose. <\/p>\n
The Cavs want him orchestrating from the defensive glass to initiating offense. The more he touches the ball, the more Cleveland\u2019s offense breathes. This summer, Mobley\u2019s further improved his ball handling, his 3-point shot and his confidence to take over in any capacity on the floor, becoming a truly complete player. <\/p>\n
His defense will remain elite, even as Victor Wembanyama inevitably claims this year\u2019s Defensive Player of the Year award \u2014 the latest chapter in what will be a decade-long duel between two generational rim protectors. <\/p>\n
But it\u2019s Mobley\u2019s offensive control that will push him into the MVP conversation.<\/p>\n
Cleveland can\u2019t just win with Donovan Mitchell<\/a> carrying the scoring load. To reach the Finals for the first time since 2018, Mobley has to be the Cavs\u2019 best player. This is the year he becomes that.<\/p>\n Every team searching for a title has a \u201cfit\u201d player, someone who doesn\u2019t just fill a role but sharpens an identity. De\u2019Andre Hunter is that player for Cleveland.<\/a><\/p>\n When the Cavs acquired Hunter before last year\u2019s trade deadline, they envisioned a two-way wing who could finally help them match up with the East\u2019s most physical teams like New York, Boston and Orlando. What they got was a confident scorer and positional defender who looks far more natural at the small forward spot than the power forward minutes he logged last season.<\/p>\n By the time Max Strus returns from foot surgery, the conversation will ignite: who deserves the starting small forward spot? By then, the answer will already be clear.<\/p>\n Hunter\u2019s size and midrange polish give the Cavs something they\u2019ve lacked: a reliable option when plays break down. His ability to create a shot late in the clock takes pressure off Mitchell, and his comfort attacking mismatches keeps the offense balanced.<\/p>\n Defensively, Hunter allows Strus to slide into more natural matchups at shooting guard when he returns, giving Atkinson flexibility and matchup versatility the Cavs didn\u2019t have last season.<\/p>\n When Darius Garland returns from toe surgery and resumes command of the offense, Hunter\u2019s timing and shot readiness will turn slivers of daylight into clean looks. <\/p>\n By the time Strus is cleared, the Cavs will have something too effective to mess with. The starting five \u2014 Garland, Mitchell, Hunter, Mobley, and Jarrett Allen \u2014 will be the version that finally looks built for June.<\/p>\n Hunter was brought in to help Cleveland break through the Eastern Conference semifinals ceiling. This year, he\u2019ll get the chance to show he was the missing piece all along.<\/p>\n Lonzo Ball\u2019s story has been written too many times in the past tense. This season, it finally shifts to the present.<\/p>\n The Cavs traded for Ball knowing the risk<\/a>. They also knew the reward, and few guards in the league could unlock their offense quite like him. <\/p>\n Ball hasn\u2019t played more than 35 games in a season since 2021, but the Cavs didn\u2019t trade Isaac Okoro for him<\/a> expecting 82. They\u2019re betting on 50 with the goal of 60. Cleveland has a plan to manage his body, exclude back-to-backs, and ensure he\u2019s available when it counts most: the playoffs.<\/p>\n In just a handful of preseason possessions in the finale against the Pistons, Ball reminded everyone what makes him special: the tempo, the instant reads, the unteachable vision that moves defenses like chess pieces.<\/p>\n When he\u2019s active, the Cavs play faster, freer, more instinctively. Kickahead passes fly before wings even realize they\u2019re open. Transition turns into weaponry. And Garland, Mitchell, and Mobley all benefit from having another connector who can see two plays ahead.<\/p>\n Lonzo\u2019s availability won\u2019t define the regular season, but it will define the postseason. If he\u2019s healthy in April, Cleveland\u2019s ceiling rises by an entire tier.<\/p>\n Lonzo Ball may be the most intriguing addition, but the regular-season X-factors will be Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade.<\/p>\n Tyson, entering his sophomore season, is no longer the wide-eyed rookie<\/a> running at 100 miles per hour with no direction. Every move he makes is purposeful and curated under the watchful eye of Atkinson. <\/p>\n Tyson will be the defensive disruptor the Cavs lost when they traded Okoro<\/a>, but with a more refined offensive palette. With Strus sidelined early, the former Cal standout will get real minutes guarding the opposing team\u2019s best wing while serving as a secondary playmaker to keep Mitchell off the ball.<\/p>\n His handle, court vision, and length make him the kind of two-way player that\u2019s no longer just filling minutes. <\/p>\n Dean Wade\u2019s challenge is different.<\/a> It\u2019s not about ability, it\u2019s about audacity. His defense has never been in question; his confidence has. When he shoots without hesitation, Cleveland\u2019s offense stretches in ways few lineups can match. When he doesn\u2019t, possessions shrink.<\/p>\n Atkinson has made it clear: reluctance is inexcusable. The Cavs want Wade setting a career high in attempts per 36 minutes. They know the shots will fall. They just need him to take them.<\/p>\n With Larry Nance Jr. providing frontcourt insurance, Wade\u2019s place in the rotation will depend on his shot and his mindset. It\u2019s a contract year, and the Cavs will need his best version to keep pace with the size and length of the East\u2019s elite.<\/p>\n The regular season won\u2019t be perfect. Garland and Strus will need time to re-integrate, and Mitchell and Ball\u2019s workload will be closely managed. But if Cleveland stays healthy down the stretch, the ingredients for a Finals run are all there, led by continuity and chemistry.<\/p>\n Atkinson\u2019s system, built on pace, passing, and positional interchangeability, is the perfect complement to a roster this deep. <\/p>\n The Cavs will rank top five in defensive rating again and coming off the heels of a historic offensive season, the difference will be how quickly they turn stops into scoring.<\/p>\n Their biggest threats loom large: Orlando\u2019s length, Atlanta\u2019s depth and size and New York\u2019s toughness. But this Cavs team isn\u2019t built to avoid the East\u2019s bullies anymore; they\u2019ve been built to beat them.<\/p>\n Fifty-eight wins, another No. 1 seed, and a trip back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2018 \u2014 this time on the back of growth, not superstardom.<\/p>\n Because the Cavs have spent years chasing potential. This season, they\u2019ll finally live in it.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"CLEVELAND, Ohio \u2014 The Cavs enter the 2025-26 season no longer as a feel-good story or an up-and-coming…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":227481,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-227480","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-basketball","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-basketball","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=227480"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/227480\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/227481"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=227480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=227480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=227480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"De\u2019Andre](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SQMIGIIUVNCJXPZYTFLQQOJVT4.jpg\"\/)
By the time Max Strus returns from foot surgery, the conversation will ignite: who deserves the starting small forward spot? By then, the answer will already be clear.Getty Images2. De\u2019Andre Hunter will keep the starting small forward spot<\/p>\n![\"Lonzo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/EQACL3ST25GWNPO23E5563D7FM.jpg\"\/)
The Cavs traded for Lonzo Ball knowing the risk. They also knew the reward, and few guards in the league could unlock their offense quite like him. Getty Images3. Lonzo Ball will play 50 games and be healthy for the playoffs<\/p>\n![\"Jaylon](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/FY56OCBKDNGORLB5UD5TWX3O2I.JPG\"\/)
Lonzo Ball may be the most intriguing addition, but the regular-season X-factors will be Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade.Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com4. Jaylon Tyson and Dean Wade will define the Cavs\u2019 depth<\/p>\n![\"Cavaliers](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/SQRZQ2XWINB3RPLITSU33ZJ6WU.JPG\"\/)
Fans celebrate at a rally to honor Cleveland Cavaliers NBA championship.The Plain Dealer5. The Cavs will win 58 games and return to the NBA Finals<\/p>\n