Recently, the Cleveland Cavaliers got some bad news when it was revealed that shooting guard Max Strus would miss the beginning of the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season due to injury. Strus will join Darius Garland on the Cavs’ bench taking things in from the sidelines as head coach Kenny Atkinson attempts to put together competitive lineups in the meantime
Still, when fully healthy, the Cavs have one of the deepest rosters in the Eastern Conference, and recently, ESPN predicted them to once again secure the number one seed in the conference with their season predictions.
“The Cavs aren’t exactly starting the season with momentum, with starters Darius Garland and Max Strus out for extended periods following offseason foot surgeries. But the conference finals are a long way off, and if they are healthy, their full roster should put them as favorites,” wrote Brian Windhorst on ESPN.com.
Of course, the Cavs also finished as the number one seed in the East last season, and were promptly escorted out of the second round by the Indiana Pacers. Still, back to back one seeds would certainly be an accomplishment for a franchise that hasn’t done much of anything in its non-LeBron James history.
Can the Cavs bounce back?
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Entering this offseason, the big question regarding the Cavs was just how much of the team’s playoff collapse vs Indiana would be blamed on poor roster construction, and how much would be pinned on injuries. The answer was evidently the latter, as the Cavs’ front office opted to run back mostly the same roster from last year, minus point guard Ty Jerome, who bolted for the Memphis Grizzlies in free agency.
It’s true that Garland, Evan Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter were all hampered and missed time during the Pacers series, adding a major asterisk to that result.
Still, it had to be disappointing for a Cavs team who had nearly won a franchise record amount of games to exit in the exact same game of the same round that they had the year prior.
In any case, the Cavs will kick off the 2025 season on the road against the New York Knicks on October 22.
