In the everchanging nature of the NBA, teams can often get the rug pulled out from under them without ever getting an opportunity to maximize their potential. The Cleveland Cavaliers will not be one of those groups. Koby Altman is giving them every opportunity to capitalize on the continuity.
The players in Cleveland are not dismissive of that fact. Jarrett Allen brought up Altman's leadership and belief in the team as a humbling at Cavaliers Media Day. Max Strus also alluded to this aspect when he sat down for his time on the podium.
Strus was asked by a reporter how to reestablish the distinct 'family-like culture' the Cavs had last season. The sharpshooting wing did not think there was a lot of work that needed to be done in that regard.
Strus said, "We just added a couple of family members in Lonzo [Ball] and Thomas [Bryant]. It's just guys that are going to have to get acclimated to that. ... We're really excited to bring basically the core group back. It's a great locker room, it's a great group of guys, and we're excited to all be back again."
Continuity is the Cavaliers’ most powerful championship advantage
There is a reason why teams that assemble rosters on the fly typically do not reap the rewards of those big and splashy all-in maneuvers during the same season. Those kinds of moves create way too much that needs to get figured in too short of a time span.
A great example from as recently as last season is the Los Angeles Lakers. The trade for Luka Doncic gave them arguably the best duo in basketball when the former Dallas Mavericks superstar joined up with LeBron James.
There were flashes of the Lakers being a contender, but that proved not to be the case. Too many roster flaws remained after the seismic trade, leading to a premature exit from the NBA Playoffs following a 50-win season in the competitive Western Conference.
The Cavaliers have no such troubles. They have been given time and patience to figure out what the championship formula looks like in Cleveland. In 2025-26, it is officially time to put that to the test.
While the expectations are high, the feeling of the Cavaliers being immediately gutted top to bottom if they fail is not there. Altman reassured his belief in the core four before Media Day even took place.
Granted, a dreadful disappointment may raise some serious questions. However, the continuity brought forward into 2025-26 inspires confidence that no one is giving up on this potential championship contender just yet. That should be exactly what they need.