The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2025-’26 season with a lot of hope and optimism, despite another postseason that ended in the second round of the playoffs in 2024-’25. After a historic 64-win season, in which Cleveland became just the second team in NBA history to have three separate winning streaks of 12 or more games in a single season, the Cavs took the Eastern Conference’s top seed. 

Instead of finally breaking through, injuries became the story of the playoffs, and the same late-game issues that haunted them in previous runs with J.B. Bickerstaff at the helm resurfaced. Now, with a wide-open Eastern Conference (for now), Cleveland’s path is as clear as it’s been since LeBron James left town for the second time at the end of the 2017-’18 season but to finally make the leap, they need to balance regular season and playoff success. 

Here are five keys to doing just that.

Capitalize on the wide-open Eastern Conference

This goes without saying, but I don’t wish injuries on anyone, nor do I want them to be the reason for my team’s success. However, let’s keep it real, the East is wide-open right now because of key injuries in the conference. 

Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles in the second round against New York, and Tyrese Haliburton suffered the same fate in Game 7 of the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Haliburton won’t return for sure, and Tatum likely won’t either (though there’s no confirmation of that). If two of the East’s biggest threats are suddenly on the shelf, that leaves things wide-open for the Cavs.

Manage star workload for playoff availability

Donovan Mitchell was hobbled with injuries for a second straight playoff run with the this past spring, and the Cavs can't afford another postseason with their best players on the bench. 

With the East as open as it is, it’ll be interesting to see what Head Coach Kenny Atkinson does this year when it comes to rest. Maybe that means giving Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarret Allen maintenance days against weaker opponents and letting the depth handle those winter games against lottery teams. The goal shouldn’t be getting 65-plus wins if it means grinding your stars into the ground. The Cavs need everyone at 100% when the playoffs start.

Integrating returning players with new ones

Injuries to start the season will test Cleveland’s continuity come November and December. Garland is still recovering from offseason foot surgery, Max Strus is projected to miss a couple of months with a foot injury, and Lonzo Ball, potentially the Cavs biggest new addition, will be limited to 20 minutes per game to start the season.

Atkinson’s challenge will be blending everyone back in and adding the new pieces without affecting the rhythm that fueled last year’s success. Don’t be surprised if he experiments with rotations once the Cavs become healthy to see what meshes best.

Leverage offseason additions to build depth

The Cavs aggressively made additions to their roster this offseason. The addition of Ball should be a huge help. A viable floor general and above-average defender, he adds playmaking and perimeter toughness, even if he will be limited to 20 minutes per game to start the year. Larry Nance Jr. is back, seemingly still in his prime. He averaged 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game with Atlanta a season ago, including a near 45% clip from beyond the 3-point line. 

The regular season should be all about integrating these pieces so when the playoffs arrive, the Cavs have a legitimate nine- to -10-man rotation instead of relying solely on the Core Four of Mitchell, Mobley, Garland, and Allen. Fingers crossed everyone is healthy by the time the playoffs roll around.

Evan Mobley’s evolution

Mobley's development, particularly improving his three-point shooting and offensive confidence, will determine whether the Cavs can actually hit their ceiling. He’s already one of the NBA’s most elite defenders and got recognized for it last year when he was named Defensive Player of the Year. 

He doesn't need to become the main option on offense, but defenders respecting his range opens up driving lanes for Mitchell and Garland and improves the spacing for Allen. Not only that, but if Mobley can punish teams for leaving him open on the perimeter, it makes Cleveland's offense nearly impossible to defend, especially because he can move just as well with the ball off-dribble as he can without the ball.