The 2025-26 season is a pivotal year for the Cleveland Cavaliers, testing the resolve of the new-generation core and true ceiling of their potential.
Entering the year, Jarrett Allen's first two games of the season have been mixed. The Cavaliers starting center shrank in Madison Square Garden for the season opener, scoring four points and only grabbing four rebounds. Against the Brooklyn Nets in Barclays Center, Allen's production skyrocketed, scoring 22 points on an efficient eight-of-11 shooting night. Allen grabbed six total rebounds, but despite low numbers still, he showed better aggression and physicality in the post against Nic Claxton.
Following the game, Donovan Mitchell congratulated Allen in a postgame interview, recognizing his influence on Allen's game-one disaster. As the standing point guard until Darius Garland returns, Mitchell acknowledged a responsibility to keep Allen involved on offense, turning down his own looks in favor of keeping the ball moving and developing as a leader.
Bringing Allen into the offensive fold more was to Cleveland's benefit, giving the Cavs a large enough lead to survive a late comeback effort by the Nets in the 131-124 win.
Next to Allen, Evan Mobley's first two games have been just as mixed for the same reasons as his counterpart. In MSG, Mobley immediately displayed the offensive assertiveness the Cavs hoped to see out of the All-NBA forward. Mobley stunned fans with a terrific night, scoring 22 points on 18 shots, grabbing eight rebounds and knocking down four of his eight three-pointers.
In Brooklyn, Mobley disappeared from the offense, losing his confidence and passing out of easy mismatches against Cameron Thomas. He ended with 11 points on five-of-12 shooting. In two games, the Cavaliers are already exposing a haunting problem that needs to be solved before it gets worse.
The Cavaliers cannot maximize both Mobley and Allen in the same game
In Mobley's impressive season debut, his partner Allen disappeared. Conversely, Allen's great game two left Mobley behind. To realize the team's potential, the Cavs must find a path to involving everybody on offense and getting the most out of their skillset.
As a point guard, Mitchell's offensive scoring gravity opens up enough shots for his teammates to thrive. While he can lose focus on playmaking for others in close games, he is typically a selfless leader, uplifting his teammates for the benefit of everybody. Unfortunately, his efforts have not offered a solution to the Mobley-Allen conflict.
In a vacuum, both Mobley and Allen are skilled enough to be a main focal point on offense, but the Cavaliers have already made the choice clear. If Cleveland wants to reach the NBA Finals, Mobley has to be a volume scorer. Activating an assertive Mobley, however, is seemingly pushing Allen out.
With just two games complete and the offensive engine of Garland still sidelined, the Cavaliers have enough reason to approach the problem with patience rather than any brash decisions. Even when Garland returns, though, there is only one basketball and 48 minutes in a game. Cleveland's core four is built on two ball-dominant guards and two supersized big men. Coaches have often staggered minutes, splitting up one guard and one big, as a solution.
Clevland's frontcourt problem is nothing new
If Mobley is expected to become a definitive superstar force, staggering minutes and limiting his playing time will only stall that evolution.
There is no obvious quick fix. The Cavaliers need Mobley to take more shots every game, and they need even more to see him create his own looks. That growth is the key to winning a championship, but it may come at the cost of Allen's usage. Cleveland has to decide what cost they are willing to pay.
Much of Mobley's timidity against the Nets is not the fault of anybody but himself. After struggling to connect from deep and missing easy looks, Mobley passed out of good opportunities, dishing the ball to the perimeter rather than taking it to the paint. If the Cavs hope to get Mobley to that next level, though, they cannot settle for this passive nature. Mitchell has to continue feeding the ball to Mobley at every mismatch, in every corner and at every opportunity. The growing pains are necessary, even if it means some lowlights for the Cavs unicorn.
Beyond a minuscule two-game sample size, Cleveland's problem is a constant question mark over the team. According to NBA.com game logs from last regular season, Mobley and Allen appeared in 71 games together. In those 71 games, both players scored at least 15 points only 12 times. Only roughly 17 percent of games played together did both Mobley and Allen reach 15 points scored.
Raising the points threshold even higher, Allen and Mobley only both achieved 20 points in the same game seven times. Nearly half of the 12 games with both scoring 15 left one player below 20 points. With just seven games last season with both players reaching 20 points, the Cavaliers are seeing the best possible versions of Mobley and Allen at the same time in just 9.86 percent of time.
Two seasons ago, Allen had one of the best stretches of his career, playing alongside Mitchell during a historic winter win streak. The catalyst of Allen's surge in the 2023-24 season? Evan Mobley was on the sideline with an injury the entire time.
Winning a championship with a 10-percent chance that two of your four best players can simultaneously play great is a serious hurdle. Even if the expectations are lowered to 15 points each, the chances raise by just seven percent.
Allen is not to blame for Mobley's disappearing acts, but it calls into question his role on the team. If the Cleveland Cavaliers are forced on a nightly basis to choose which big man to emphasize, Allen is likely to see himself fade out of the offensive priority list rather quickly.