The idea is simple: Donovan Mitchell as the first scoring option, Darius Garland having the most usage, and Evan Mobley being the best player. That is what gets the Cleveland Cavaliers the closest they have been to a championship since LeBron James wore wine and gold.
Ethan Sands laid that one out on an episode of the Wine and Gold Talk podcast. It was hard to disagree with the assessment of the Cavaliers reporter.
Sands said, "There's nuances to all of these things, but I think that is the formula that the Cavs need to happen for this team to take the next step, and also be as mature as necessary for this team to be where it needs to be come playoff time. "
The pivotal stars at the top of the Cavaliers' hierarchy falling into the places envisioned by Sands hit a number of the key points regarding what would make Cleveland as tough of an out as they project to be in the 2026 NBA Playoffs. Now, it is just about putting that plan into action.
Cavaliers’ championship recipe isn’t complicated — if they follow the formula
Last year's Cavaliers won 64 games. A big part of that was shifting the ball more out of Mitchell's hands and into Garland's.
The Cavaliers star shooting guard posted the third lowest usage percentage of his career. Their star point guard, meanwhile, enjoyed his highest mark in that category since Mitchell's arrival.
Overall, their All-Star shooting guard still topped Garland in usage percentage. Mitchell posted 30.8, while Garland had 27.2. That is a small disparity to make up. However, flipping those two spots would allow the All-Star point guard to do what he does best in setting the table for the entire Cavaliers offense.
It would also allow Mitchell a clear focus on scoring. That does not mean there is no room for his playmaking, but it would firmly be the secondary priority for the six-time All-Star.
The conversation of why the Cavaliers need Mobley establishing himself as the team's best player is also pretty clear. There is a less defined ceiling around what a team with him as the top dog looks like.
Everyone in Cleveland has been enamored with the talk of Mobley's upside. Last year's Defensive Player of the Year came into media day hungry and ready for the leap that has been hyped up relentlessly.
Mobley is knocking on the door of being a top-10 player in the NBA. If the rising star can firmly get there, while Mitchell and Garland do their parts, there is no reason an NBA Finals appearance is out of the question for the Cavaliers.