Sometimes the record of a team can be incredibly misleading. The Cleveland Cavaliers' mark of 5-3 thus far in the 2025-26 NBA season does not scream contender. At this same time a year ago, the Cavaliers were a perfect 9-0. Despite that, this year's team is very clearly the superior version.
The 2024-25 Cavaliers started 15-0 before finally dropping their first game of the regular season to the Boston Celtics in November. As we all know, that team finished with an impressive 64-win campaign. As we are also well aware, that team crashed and burned in the postseason.
This year's Cavaliers have not had the perfect start. It's been quiet the opposite. Plenty of adversity has been thrown in Cleveland's direction to begin the season of redemption and championship dreams.
That will eventually prove to be a good thing. Much like these Cavaliers will prove they are exactly what people thought last year's group could be: real contenders.
Cavaliers made the necessary adjustments to finally look playoff-ready
One of the major flaws that has often put the Cavaliers under fire is their small starting backcourt that is filled with two undersized ball-dominant stars. To many, Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell needed to be separated for a championship to materialize.
However, Garland has been instrumental in positioning Mitchell to thrive as a scorer by alleviating him of the burden as an overall offensive engine under Kenny Atkinson. That backcourt should work, and when the Cavaliers do need to swap in size, they can turn to Lonzo Ball.
Lonzo is still trying to rediscover his scoring touch. In the meantime, his value as a playmaker and defender is unquestionable, offering the Cavaliers the exact type of player they need to mix things up when the undersized backcourt truly is a problem in a given playoff matchup.
Size is also something the Cavaliers have found on the wings. Jaylon Tyson is quickly growing into the type of two-way player that Cleveland would have loved to have last season. The second year of De'Andre Hunter will only be better too.
The Cavaliers have size and depth along the wings, especially when Max Strus finally returns to boost the latter. They are as deep they have ever been, and this all comes before even mentioning guys like Sam Merrill and Larry Nance Jr.
All of this is to say, the Cavaliers have versatility and flexibility, coupled with talent and star power. They do not need to be restricted to key figures. They can dictate how they deploy their team based on what any playoff matchup requires of them. That is a team built to contend.