The Cleveland Cavs are once again projected to make a deep run this upcoming season, as head coach Kenny Atkinson understands the importance of building off 64 regular-season wins and a second-round playoff exit. Injuries to their All-Star core derailed a promising postseason run, which is why the Cavs are considered Eastern Conference favorites. However, Atkinson isn’t taking the regular season lightly.
While dominating the regular season last year, the Cavs responded to most of the milestones with a collective shrug, a notion Atkinson rejects, as noted by The Athletic’s Joe Vardon.
“Yeah, I don’t subscribe to that,” Atkinson said while agreeing with the point made above. “I’ve heard it around here, like, ‘Oh, it’s just the regular season.’ It doesn’t work like that. We have to continue to build. The only way you get better at the end is to get better every day and get better in every game. So there’s not going to be any cruise control or, ‘Hey, we’re mailing this week in or this game.’
“It’s like, man, we’re going to kind of hold them to the same standards, build the same way. Now, I do think, strategically, we have to be better about planning, both tactically and physically, for the playoffs.”
Kenny Atkinson and the Cavs sprinted out to a 15-0 start — the second-best start in NBA history — last season, marking their territory at the top of the Eastern Conference standings, where they maintained their position throughout the 2024-25 season. Cleveland cruised through the first round with a 4-0 sweep against the Miami Heat before facing the Indiana Pacers in a series where injuries hampered the Cavs.
Key members of the Cavs’ starting lineup, such as Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, all missed postseason games, including some of the first round.
Cavs predicted to win the Eastern Conference in 2025-26
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With the disappointing playoff finish in their rear-view, the Cavs are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Despite entering the regular season shorthanded, the Cavs’ roster depth sets them apart from their competitors, as noted by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“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,” Windhorst wrote. “But the conference finals are a long way off, and if they are healthy, their full roster should put them as favorites.”
The Cavs will host the Bulls in their preseason opener on Tuesday.
