Story by
Cavaliers offense a work in progress without Darius Garland, Max Strus to start season
- Story by
- Cavaliers offense a work in progress without Darius Garland, Max Strus to start season
CLEVELAND — It's "go time" for the Cavaliers .
The Cavs , fresh off a 64-win season but still desperately hungry for a playoff push that surpasses the second round, wrapped up the preseason Oct. 14 with a win over the Detroit Pistons . They jokingly doused Kenny Atkinson after the game, as it was his first preseason victory since he was hired as the team's coach.
Advertisement
A week of practice awaits, and then the regular season begins. The Cavs open against the New York Knicks , a matchup of the two top contenders in the East and a possible preview of the Conference Finals.
Except, the Cavs team that takes the floor in New York won't be anywhere close to full strength, and the offense without some key pieces hasn't quite found its groove.
All-Star guard Darius Garland (toe surgery) and Max Strus (foot surgery) will both miss the beginning of the regular season. It's a lot of firepower to be without, and the Cavs have spent their four preseason games experimenting with different lineups and rotations.
It's still coming into focus, and it might be a work-in-progress deep into November.
Advertisement
"[We feel] good. I mean, it's not like we're clicking on all cylinders," Atkinson said. "I think offensively, we're a little bit clunky right now. Trying to [figure things out] with this new lineup and find our identity a little bit."
Cavs lineup without Darius Garland , Max Strus
Garland and Strus both being out creates a series of potential domino effects. De'Andre Hunter , who has been called the " MVP of the offseason ," figures to be a much larger piece to the offense. Donovan Mitchell will have to carry an even greater offensive load. Evan Mobley , who took a significant leap forward last season, is expected to bite an even bigger chunk of that pie in 2025-26.
Jaylon Tyson has a clear path to more minutes early on this season. It's a similar story with Dean Wade , now healthy, and Larry Nance Jr. , now back in Cleveland. Craig Porter Jr. is among a group hoping to carve our larger roles. Lonzo Ball is hoping to revitalize his injury-riddled career .
Advertisement
"You have to shift, right?" Atkinson said. "You'd be without DG and Max, it's got to look a little different. So, to me, it's going to be hard to compare apples to apples. We're going to be throwing out different lineups, and that's even with the second unit, too. We've got to fit what's best for the group."
It'll be a while before they have their lineups and rotations set to the point they did toward the end of last season. They know they have little to prove until April and May, when the Cavs have another chance to prove they can go on a deep playoff run. That especially means Mitchell, who has yet to reach the Conference Finals despite being arguably a top-10 player in the league.
This regular season will be geared toward tuning up for the playoffs. The games that truly matter for Cleveland are a long way off, especially with Garland and Strus unavailable for, likely, the first few weeks of a regular season. There won't be any panic for anything that happens in the near future, as long as it doesn't impact April, May or June. But the Cavs are also admitting that some things are a work in progress.
"I think our defense is ahead of our offense," Mitchell said. "Our defense, we've amped up to such a high level, and I think offensively we're still trying to figure things out.
Advertisement
"You're incorporating Dre now for a full season. Evan's taking a step. You got myself. Sam's been out, now Sam's back. Jaylon Tyson's figuring out his role playing with us. So it's just a bunch of different things being thrown around."
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cavs starting lineup, rotations in flux to begin 2025-26 season
