With NBA media enthralled by the rise of the Boston Celtics ( due to Jayson Tatum's return) and concerned by the descent of the Detroit Pistons (due to Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung), the Cleveland Cavaliers have suddenly become a slept-on commodity in the Eastern Conference playoff landscape.
The Ringer's Zach Lowe talked about this phenomenon during a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Everyone is sleeping on the Cleveland Cavaliers as East contenders
"I think there's a really high ceiling here ... it feels like the NBA cognoscenti has just sort of moved away from (Cleveland) in this ... Boston hoopla, which is very well deserved with Tatum going back, and all the stuff going on (with the Pistons)," Lowe said. "Cleveland's just kind of there to the side, and I think we got to bring them back center stage a little bit."
Lowe reminded listeners that the Cavaliers have an "extremely dynamic" top four and that Jarrett Allen and Max Strus have both recently returned to action.
At the same time, Lowe wondered what's felt off about the Cavaliers' 2025-26 season since the start, pointing to Darius Garland's departure, the questions surrounding James Harden's past playoff failures, Donovan Mitchell's shooting slump, Allen's knee tendinitis, and Evan Mobley's enduring inability to break through to superstar status.
One thing's for sure -- this is a crucial year that the Cavaliers cannot afford to waste in terms of going after an NBA championship. Harden is only getting older, not to mention his future in Cleveland still being uncertain past the current campaign. Mitchell's future with the Cavs is also murky past the 2026-27 season (although he is extension-eligible this offseason).
The Cavs might not get a better shot at a title in the Donovan Mitchell era
The time to strike is now, and the Cavs might not get a better shot at a title moving forward. As good as the Celtics are looking right now, they'll likely be even stronger next season once Tatum really has his legs underneath him. Moreover, the return of Tyrese Haliburton in 2026-27 will likely add another contender to the East landscape that has been completely absent from the picture this year.
Even the New York Knicks have felt off for a lot of this season as they've worked through a transition from the Tom Thibodeau era into the Mike Brown era. Then there are the Pistons, whose predicament has already been mentioned above.
The Cavs have regressed in regular-season excellence since this time last year, but that won't matter if they ultimately go on a run in the posteason.
If the playoffs started today, Cleveland would be the four-seed, setting up a favorable first-round matchup with the Toronto Raptors, followed by a second-round matchup with the Pistons, presuming Detroit survives its first-round test.
In other words, the Cavs might be able to dodge Boston until the Eastern Conference Finals. Of course, they have to get there first.