News Cavs Team Notes

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs release training camp roster

The Cleveland Cavaliers will open up training camp at IMG Academy in Sarasota, Florida, on Tuesday, September 30. The team will be there until traveling back to Cleveland before opening up their preseason schedule against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday, October 7.

The players going down to the Sunshine State for training camp and their current roster contract situation are listed below.

Players on a standard NBA contract:

• Jarrett Allen
• Lonzo Ball
• Thomas Bryant
• Darius Garland
• De’Andre Hunter
• Sam Merrill
• Donovan Mitchell
• Evan Mobley
• Larry Nance Jr.
• Craig Porter Jr.
• Tyrese Proctor
• Max Strus
• Jaylon Tyson
• Dean Wade

Players on two-way deals:

• Nae’Qwan Tomlin
• Luke Travers

Training camp invites:

• Tristan Enaruna
• Killian Hayes
• Chaney Johnson
• Miller Kopp
• Norchad Omier

There is one surprise on this list. Chris Fedor reported earlier this week that Jaxson Robinson would be on the training camp roster. Robinson has since been waived to make room for Miller Kopp.

Killian Hayes is the most notable name on the list of invites, but he’s expected to spend the season with the Cleveland Charge and isn’t eligible for a two-way contract with the Cavs because of his service time in the league.

The Cavaliers currently have one open roster spot and one available two-way slot. They have entered the last several seasons with just 14 of the 15 roster spots filled. They’ve then added a final player to the roster sometime after the trade deadline. There’s no reason to believe that pattern will change this season.

Cleveland would be expected to fill their remaining two-way slot. This could come from one of the players that they invite to camp (except for Hayes), or they could offer that spot to another eligible player who doesn’t make the opening night roster on another team.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...-training-camp-roster-nba-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

‘We belong at the top’ Max Strus says Cavs still lead the East

Max Strus didn’t back down from setting high expectations for the Cleveland Cavaliers during his Media Day availability. He believes the Cavs have no reason not to be considered as the top dogs of the East.

“I don’t see why we’re not still at the top,” said Strus. “We all believe that we belong there.”

The Cavs won 64 games last season, leading the Eastern Conference and only falling short to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who won 67. Despite their monumental success in the regular season — Cleveland lasted only five games against Indiana in the second round.

There are reasons for their playoff collapse. Multiple Cavaliers mentioned conditioning as a lesson from their loss to Indiana. Others talked about health, experience and winning on the margins. Whatever it might be — everyone agreed that winning in the regular season isn’t enough. It’s time for the next step.

When asked whether or not next season could be considered a success if the Cavs don’t reach the finals, Strus kept it simple.

“I don’t think so,” said Strus. “I think this team is capable of that [winning the conference] and without putting a tremendous amount of pressure on us, I don’t see why we can’t be there.”

Other players echoed the same sentiment. Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley said winning the title is their goal. Lonzo Ball wants to contribute to a championship. Thomas Bryant is here because he thinks this team can win. Everyone understands where the bar is being set.

“We’re all ready to back into the season,” said Strus. ”When the lights get bright again in the playoffs, we’ll be ready this year.“

Strus will miss the start of the season with a foot injury. There is no clear timetable for his return.

“I’m five weeks out of surgery,” said Strus. “I’m not gonna put a timetable on my return… but I’m in a good spot right now, everything seems to be healing.“

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...e-top-max-strus-says-cavs-still-lead-the-east

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs injury update: Darius Garland confirmed he’s been cleared for on-court work

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland didn’t seem happy to answer questions about his foot injury during his seven-minute press conference at Media Day on Monday afternoon. But that didn’t stop reporters from asking him anyway.

“Rehab’s been going really well,” Garland said. “[I’m] back on the court, moving around. I’m ramping up for the season, so everything’s been good. … Doctor’s saying everything’s been looking great. So I’m happy where I’m at right now.”

Having better conditioning was a main talking point for several Cavs players. This is clearly one of their main takeaways from their second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers, where they were outhustled. Even though Garland was limited throughout the summer, he’s still been able to work on his conditioning.

“Working on conditioning and cardio right now,” Garland said. “So happy to be back on the court.”

Garland is indeed back on the court. In his words, he’s participating fully in basketball and contract drills. However, according to Koby Altman, Garland will be in “limited team activities” during training camp in Florida.

Garland wasn’t willing to admit to missing time in the regular season. When asked about it, he said that he doesn’t know yet, but he does have a date in mind that he’s targeting for his return.

The initial timetable for a return from the toe surgery he underwent at the beginning of June was for four to five months. That would put him in line to return sometime in October. However, the Cavs will likely be cautious with rushing him back. They know that their season won’t be judged by how they perform in the fall. Having all of their stars healthy and near 100% in the postseason is all that will matter.

We’ll see when Garland can return to game action. At the very least, it’s encouraging to see him walking around without a limp and confirming that he’s once again ready for on-court work.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...te-darius-garland-toe-nba-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Evan Mobley has big plans for this season, he just isn’t telling us what they are

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley set two goals for himself at media day last year: Make an All-Star team and win Defensive Player of the Year. He checked both of those boxes off en route to his best season as a professional.

So, what does he want to accomplish individually this year?

“My individual goal is to definitely be an All-Star again, hopefully keep the Defensive Player of the Year as well,” Mobley said. “And then from there… I’m going to keep that a secret for now.”

We don’t know what exactly that unspoken goal for this upcoming season is, but I’d guess getting into the MVP conversation would be it. And honestly, that isn’t too unrealistic a target. Mobley is that good.

It’s easy to see Mobley’s quiet demeanor and think that he lacks confidence. In truth, he’s mostly just honest. Mobley doesn’t over exaggerate his own talent or overhype his abilities. When he says things, he means them. That’s why we should take him at his word when he said last All-Star break that he could be the best player in the league in five years.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen. Mobley does have areas of his game he needs to improve if he’s going to take the next leap. Ballhandling is chief among them. He’s more than serviceable for his size, but hasn’t proven to have a tight enough handle to be the self-creating scorer he will need to be if he’s going to become a superstar.

Fortunately for Mobley, he seems to know this. That’s what his focus has been throughout the offseason.

“It’s grown a lot,” Mobley said about his ballhandling. “Did a lot of those drills in the off-season. This year, you’re definitely going to see me with the ball in my hands a lot more. And I think with the offense and how it’s going to change a little bit, you’re going to see me doing that.”

We saw Mobley get iced out of games last season, particularly in the second half of Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers. The guards need to do a better job of finding Mobley, but at the same time, he needs to be more assertive in making sure that doesn’t happen. This led him to correctly say that he can’t go “nonexistent” at times during his exit interviews last spring.

That part is just as important as becoming more skilled.

“That’s definitely going to be on me,” Mobley said when asked about becoming more assertive. “I gotta take that upon myself and not let that happen and always just stay engaged and stay aggressive.”

Mobley proved that he could be among the elite players in the league because of his skill on both ends of the court. This was rewarded by being named to the All-NBA Second Team last season. That is a major accomplishment and not guaranteed for someone even as skilled as Mobley.

That level of individual success this early in a career can lead players down different paths. Some become content maintaining their status as a premier player. Others become hungrier for more success after getting their first real taste of it.

Time will tell which one Mobley takes.

Media day quotes aren’t indicative of how a season will go. At the same time, we know that Mobley is one of the few players who can reach his lofty goals if he puts his mind to it. And by all accounts, it seems like he’s doing everything in his power to make sure he reaches them.

“You can just feel it,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said about Mobley’s approach last week. “You just sense that he’s ready to make another jump. The seriousness in which he approached his offseason from a body perspective. And then from a basketball perspective, he’s different. I don’t know how to exactly define that, but I feel like there’s confidence growing here that maybe we haven’t seen before.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...-mobley-nba-mvp-media-day-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs comment on their biggest weakness in last year’s playoffs

NBA Media Day is a chance for every team to set its narrative before the start of a new season. But it’s also an opportunity to reflect on the past. Everyone knew the Cleveland Cavaliers would have to answer questions regarding their recent playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers. That might be why everyone had a similar answer.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Monday was how often the Cavaliers talked about conditioning. Multiple players mentioned it when asked about their offseason and what they learned from their loss in the postseason.

“A big focus so far has been our conditioning level,” said Sam Merrill. “Winning in the playoffs is so about winning on the margins. Sometimes you just have to get a rebound, or get the ball in.”

Last year’s Pacers were a shining example of how far the intangibles can take you. Simply playing harder than everyone else was a core reason they made it to Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Of course, many factors contributed to Indiana’s success — but being faster and more conditioned than everyone else was a non-negotiable.

“Building our bodies so that we’re able to last through the whole season,” said Evan Mobley. “Because the season is so long, and grueling, and also knowing when to turn it up and turn it down. I think this team has done their research, and it’s a great team, and they built a program for us.”

The importance of staying healthy through the season is something they don’t need to be reminded of. They’ve been bitten by untimely injury bugs in consecutive seasons. That’s one reason they have focused so much on building their bodies this summer.

“Working on conditioning and cardio,” said Darius Garland. “It’s important for all of us to get that work in.”

The Cavs stressed the value of working together this offseason. They have committed themselves to building towards a common goal.

“The motivation, you see it in every player, every workout,” said Dean Wade. “Guys are hungry… you get on the court and it’s all business.”

Plenty of teams wait until training camp to officially begin working out together. But this Cavs squad has been in the gym ahead of schedule.

“Being here a few weeks before training camp has been really huge,” said De’Andre Hunter on working with Kenny Atkinson this summer. “Building that relationship with Kenny, just picking each other’s brains on what I can do and where I can fit in… it’s been a collaborative thing.”

Conditioning is about more than just running laps. The Cavs are a team that has repeatedly hit a wall in the playoffs. Clearing that mental hurdle is just as important as being physically in shape.

“I think there’s a mental push,” said Donovan Mitchell. “We’ve run into the same wall three times in a row, and mentally you could stop and quit… and so [the question is] are we ready to continue pushing forward? I believe we are.”

Staying motivated could be especially difficult for a team that won 64 games in the regular season last year — only for it to mean nothing in the playoffs. The Cavs understand that there isn’t anything left to gain from the regular season. At this point, nothing matters but the postseason.

“The biggest thing is just understanding that we have to keep going,” said Mitchell. “That’s really all I got, we just gotta keep going and see what the season brings.”

Cleveland won’t have an opportunity to redeem itself until the playoffs begin. Until then, all they can do is put their shortcomings in the past and strive to be better.

“The NBA, it’s a long season,” said Jarrett Allen. “If you stop and sulk for too long, you’re going to get left behind.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-news/39003/cavs-media-day-nba-playoffs-cleveland-cavaliers

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Lonzo Ball sees himself contributing to a championship in Cleveland

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Lonzo Ball because they feel like he can help raise their ceiling in the playoffs.

It turns out the feeling is mutual.

“I was excited,” said Ball on the trade. “I’m happy to be in Cleveland, happy to be on this team, and to do what I can to compete for a championship.“

Ball joins a Cavalier squad that won 64 games the year before. This is a roster that has experienced monumental success in the regular season — but is still looking for its shining moment in the playoffs. Ball is eager to help them earn that.

“I wouldn’t say I’m the missing piece,” said Ball during media day. “But I just think that I’m here to help win a championship, to do my part, and be a good teammate.”

This iteration of the Cavaliers hasn’t had a player like Ball on their bench. He isn’t a microwave scorer like Ty Jerome or Caris LeVert. He doesn’t have the same defensive limitations as Ricky Rubio did. Ball is a totally different archetype that can check all of the most important boxes for playoff success.

“My game is pretty simple,” said Ball. “Play defense, hit open shots and don’t turn the ball over. Those are my three main points, and I just go from there.”

Every championship team needs a role player who can hit on those three skills. An efficient, defensive-oriented ball-handler is a recipe for success in the modern NBA. Recent championship players like Alex Caruso and Jrue Holiday are the blueprint to what Cleveland is looking to replicate with Ball.

Still, it’s no secret that trading for Ball comes with a risk.

Ball has suffered several season-ending injuries across his career, including a two-year knee injury leading up to last season. He will have to prove that he can stay healthy long-term if any of this is going to work out.

“It’s an ongoing conversation with me and the staff,” said Ball. “It depends on how I’m feeling, but I’m looking forward to playing as many games as possible.”

Ball has the benefit of spending an entire offseason without any new injuries. This is the type of summer he hasn’t enjoyed in multiple years. This has allowed Ball to approach his workouts with a greater purpose.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to go through workouts normally,” said Ball. “I’ve been doing everything with the team; I haven’t had any setbacks.”

There is immense pressure on Ball and the Cavaliers to win this season. A full year of health, capped off with a championship, would cement this team forever. The opposite, another postseason blunder, could stain them.

But Ball isn’t overly worried about how this season will impact his overall legacy. His focus is on putting his best foot forward — and letting the rest sort itself out.

“Legacy really just depends on when you look back at your life in the mirror, and if you’re happy with yourself, then that’s all that matters.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...f-contributing-to-a-championship-in-cleveland

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs Season Preview: Evan Mobley isn’t done yet

Evan Mobley hit numerous milestones last year during his breakout season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. First-time All-Star. Second-Team All-NBA. Defensive Player of the Year. It was a massive year of growth for Mobley.

But no one expects him to stop there.

“Every year, I feel like I’ve been making bigger leaps. This year I’m taking another big leap,” said Mobley on Cavs Media Day. “I know what I’m capable of and know how good I could be. I’m gonna strive for that every day.”

Mobley enters his fifth NBA season with high expectations. The Cavaliers are knocking on the door to a championship, and Mobley might be the only one who can fully unlock it. His development is arguably the most important factor in determining Cleveland’s ceiling. Yet, Mobley’s ceiling itself is still undefined.

Can Mobley be an MVP-caliber player? He’s already unofficially a top-15 talent, according to last year’s All-NBA teams. How much more would Mobley need to do in order to break into the league’s upper echelon? And how would that impact the Cavaliers’ title aspirations?

“The biggest goal is a championship,” said Mobley. “My individual goals are definitely All-Star again, hopefully keep the Defensive Player of the Year as well, and then from there… I’m gonna keep that a secret for now.”

Mobley’s ultimate ceiling hinges on his ability to create opportunities for himself. There shouldn’t be scenarios where he feels frozen out of the offense. Not if he’s going to be an MVP-caliber player. You don’t hear concerns of Giannis Antetokounmpo not getting enough touches, for example.

The Cavs certainly believe Mobley has more to offer. Head Coach Kenny Atkinson has emphasized the need for Mobley to get the ball more often. This means embracing Mobley as a self-creator and enabling him to attack off the dribble.

“You can just sense that he is ready to make another jump,” said Atkinson. “There’s a confidence brewing here that maybe we haven’t seen before.”

Mobley has all of the tools to be an offensive engine. He’s a dominant finisher who converted 78% of his attempts in the restricted area last season. He also expanded his range to the three-point line, nailing 37% of his 3.2 attempts per game. Combine this with his potential as a playmaker (3.2 assists per game), and Mobley can become the full package.

“Definitely gonna see me with the ball in my hands a lot more,” said Mobley. “Bringing the ball up the floor… also like, isolation scoring, 1-on-1, and stuff like that.”

Another leap from Mobley would put him firmly in the league’s highest tier. A world-class defender who has no major weaknesses on offense. That’s the type of thing that wins championships, if you can believe it.

“I don’t want to put too much out there, too much expectation on him, but he has just been insanely good,” said Sam Merrill on Media Day. “There is just no hesitation shooting the basketball… He is clearly taking a step as a player, but… also as like, almost an alpha.”

Of course, all of this has to be shown in the regular season — and then cemented in the playoffs. There is no need to get ahead of ourselves. But, you’d be lying if you say you aren’t excited.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-analysis/39034/cavs-season-preview-evan-mobley-isnt-done-yet

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

‘I gotta be the head of the snake’ Darius Garland says he’s the Cavs leader

Darius Garland spoke with confidence at the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 2025 Media Day.

“I’m the leader of this group,” said Garland. “Gotta be the head of the snake.”

Garland plays a key role as Cleveland’s harmonizer on offense. He’s the point guard — therefore, he bears the most responsibility for managing all the finer aspects of the game. This is what he means by being the ‘head of the sanke.’

“As a point guard, you have to come in with that mentality as a leader,” said Garland. ”I know the ropes now, it’s cool being an older guy in the locker room.“

Cleveland boasted the league’s most efficient offense in the regular season last year. That cratered in the playoffs, with the team struggling to score without Garland — who missed multiple games with a toe injury and was far from being himself even after returning to the floor.

Not having Garland to organize things was one of many reasons the Cavs fell to Indiana. The Cavs’ offense became dysfunctional. Ball distribution came to a halt. That’s a direct product of not having their best game manager on the floor to keep everything in place.

“My number one job right now is to stay healthy,” said Garland. “Number two is keeping everyone on the same cylinder, keep everyone engaged, keep everyone locked in together.”

The Cavaliers are hoping they can pad their depth by adding another floor general in Lonzo Ball. Now the team will have another conductor available if Garland himself isn’t there to lead the ship.

“It’s been great, having Lonzo [as] another guard who can handle the ball,” said Garland. “He has a really good IQ… that’s super cool to have another high-IQ guy out there.”

Garland did not provide an update on when he’ll make his season debut. He underwent successful surgery earlier this summer to repair a toe injury.

“I don’t know yet,” Garland said on his injury timetable. “We’ll see.”

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-n...snake-darius-garland-says-hes-the-cavs-leader

 

[Cleveland Cavaliers]

Cavs Season Preview: Can Donovan Mitchell lead Cleveland to a championship?

The best players elevate their game in the playoffs. Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell has done that throughout his career according to his counting stats. Mitchell’s average playoff points, rebounds, and steals are all up from his regular-season totals. On top of that, his assists are nearly the same, and his incredible efficiency dips just slightly in the postseason.

In short, Mitchell has been an incredible individual playoff performer. The only issue is that his team hasn’t advanced past the second round in eight playoff runs.

Is this an indication that Mitchell can’t be the best offensive player on a championship contender? Or have Mitchell’s teams just not been good enough to compete for a title?

The answer is probably somewhere in the middle.

Mitchell’s physicality and ability to get to the rim make him the effective player that he is. This is different from other elite guards, such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Haliburton, or Steph Curry, who utilize some level of craft or outside shotmaking to be the game-changing players they are. We’ve repeatedly seen that translate to team postseason success while Mitchell’s game hasn’t.

The issue isn’t so much that Mitchell can’t get to his spots the same way he can in the regular season. It’s that it’s more taxing in a playoff environment that allows for more physicality, which has continually led to his body letting him down as the postseason progresses.

For instance, in 2024 Mitchell carried the Cavs to victory in Game 7 of their first-round matchup against the Orlando Magic and then followed it up with an incredible Game 2 against the eventual champion Boston Celtics to steal home-court advantage. In a vacuum, there was nothing from either outing that wasn’t repeatable in a controlled setting. And, both performances were good enough to carry his team to victory. The only issue is that the playoffs aren’t played in a vacuum. Mitchell broke down after Game 3, and so did the Cavs’ chance to do anything that postseason.

The cycle repeated last year. Mitchell was phenomenal against the Indiana Pacers until he wasn’t. He controlled Game 2 by tallying 48 points on 14-23 shooting inside the arc. The Pacers simply had no answer for him inside the paint other than knocking him on his back when he drove through the lane.

Indiana didn’t have to wait long to reap the benefits of this strategy. Mitchell’s lateral movement was completely gone in the closing minutes of Game 2 as the Cavs’ lead evaporated. Even though he had good moments for the remainder of the series, the physicality he played with for most of Game 2 never returned as he persevered through a calf strain for the remainder of the series.

There is also a conversation to be had about whether Mitchell dominating the ball as much as he does in big games is best for the team. There were instances in the second half of Game 5 against the Pacers where you would’ve preferred Mitchell to get the ball to Evan Mobley more. There’s a balance that Mitchell needs to find in some of these bigger moments if the Cavs are to get over the hump.

Mitchell talked about playing the “most mature basketball” of his career last season. He pointed to picking it up on the defensive end and on the offensive glass in the playoffs as examples of that. While it’s true that he has made progress in these areas and others, there’s still more work to be done.

Getting over the hump in the playoffs will come down to several things. Mitchell has the skills to take over playoff games, but if the Cavs require him to do that every outing, then there’s only so far that’ll get you given his size and playing style.

He needs Mobey and Darius Garland to take some of the on-ball creation and scoring pressure off him. Both will need to step up in a way they haven’t in the playoffs, and Mitchell will need to give them more of an opportunity to do so.

Mitchell also has to do a better job of picking and choosing his battles. Koby Altman, Cavs’ president of basketball operations, spoke at media day about how they want to make sure Mitchell is peaking in June when the team hopes to be competing for a championship. They have a plan in place to do that. Let’s see if that stays in place when they inevitably face adversity next playoffs.

Mitchell has accomplished nearly all that he can in the regular season. The same can’t be said about the postseason. Whether or not he breaks through will determine how his on-court career will be remembered years from now. This year is a golden opportunity to change the narrative that Mitchell’s teams can’t get past the second round and be legitimate title contenders. We’ll have to wait until spring to see if he can do so.

Source: https://www.fearthesword.com/cavs-a...view-donovan-mitchell-nba-cleveland-cavaliers