Cleveland doesn’t need reminders of how thin the margin is. Last campaign, they returned from the regular season with the second-best franchise record of 64-18. The Cavs also had three All-Star selections in the form of Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley, who also eventually snagged the Defensive Player of the Year award. However, their second-round exit to Indiana proved that regular-season dominance meant nothing without answers in the postseason. Success for the new season therefore, may no longer be judged on the basis of the regular season, but on how far they can continue in the playoffs.

That’s why Donovan Mitchell’s health has become the headline before camp even opens. He’s the Cavs’ closer, their most reliable source of offense when possessions shrink. Team president Koby Altman addressed those concerns directly this week.

Altman struck a confident tone on Donovan Mitchell’s recovery, making clear the All-Star guard is expected to be on the floor when training camp opens. On the media day on Youtube, he said “He played 70-plus games last year, the most for us and the second most in his career,” Altman said. “We have him on a really good plan.” 

In the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana, Mitchell aggravated a left ankle injury in Game 4, leaving at halftime and sitting out the rest of the game. He returned for Game 5, even producing 35 points and nine rebounds, and appears to have moved past any niggling concerns since. “He was dealing with some soreness, but he still was able to play,” Altman said. “Everyone’s dealing with something in the playoffs. He would have continued on.”

Altman’s comments will undoubtedly be a source of optimism for fans. The Cavaliers need their best players fit and firing for the upcoming season to compete, and Mitchell appears well aware of what needs to be done. “We want to play into June,” he said. “He’s very cognizant of what he needs to do to be his best when it matters.”

And the stats back that claim. Mitchell enjoyed strong support from fellow All-Stars Garland and Mobley all through the regular season. Garland went at 20.6 points and 6.7 assists per game, while Mobley averaged 18.5 points and 9.3 rebounds. However, those numbers took a drop in the postseason, which compounded the Cavs’ ability to keep up with the Pacers especially late in games. This was further hampered by Garland’s injury, which meant Mitchell suddenly became the sole focus point of the Pacers’ defence.

That eventually led to a tame exit from the postseason, and the Cavs look determined to avoid that in the coming campaign. The 29-year-old’s importance to this roster has never been under doubt, more so at a time when he is edging towards the biggest potential contract extensi0n in franchise history. Spida will enter the second year of his three-year, $150 million deal he signed back in July 2024. At the end of the upcoming season, which will conclude his tenth in the NBA, he will be eligible for a $380 million deal.

However, the Cavs will undoubtedly need deeper runs in the postseason to warrant that kind of money. For the time being of course, Mitchell appears to be focused on the task at hand: maintaining fitness for the upcoming season. Moving on, despite Mitchell’s heroics, the Cavs may also need some of their other stars to improve in order to actually emerge as title contenders.

Mobley’s growth could shift Cleveland’s ceiling

Evan Mobley is entering his fifth season with the profile of a player ready to tilt the Cavs’ trajectory. Already one of the league’s elite defenders, the 7-footer has added layers to his offense that make him more than a complementary piece. Mobley’s defensive energy allows the Cavs’ offensive stars to focus on scoring.  Last season, he averaged 1.6 blocks and 0.9 steals and had a defensive rating of 108.4 while contesting 10.4 shots per game.

That helped him not only earn his first All-Star selection, but also won him the DPOY, and the upward trend was not only evident on defence. Last year, Mobley hit 37 percent from three and more than doubled his career total in made threes, while also creating more looks off the dribble. The result was career highs in points (18.5) and assists (3.2), signaling a leap from defensive anchor to two-way focal point. If that growth sustains, and if the Cavaliers can ensure the fitness of players such as Garland and Mitchell, there is no reason why they cannot compete with the best teams in the league.

The challenge, as always, remains availability. The franchise has already seen postseason runs being derailed simply because of missing stars, and there seems to be considerable concern for the upcoming season as well. Garland and Max Strus are still recovering from offseason surgeries, though both are expected back before season begins. With a preseason opener against Chicago on Oct. 7, followed by a road test at Madison Square Garden to start the regular season and a home debut against Milwaukee, Cleveland’s path is immediately demanding.

The roster is talented enough to contend, but the question remains whether this group can stay healthy long enough to prove it.