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Cleveland Cavaliers open 2024-25 season; 3 reasons they can make the next leap in East
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- Cleveland Cavaliers open 2024-25 season; 3 reasons they can make the next leap in East
CLEVELAND — Ever since walking off the court after losing in the playoffs to the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics , the Cavaliers have been hungry to prove they can take the next step as title contenders .
That road really begins Wednesday night, when the Cavs open the 2024-25 season in Toronto in coach Kenny Atkinson's debut with Cleveland . Their first home game is Friday against the Detroit Pistons and former coach J.B. Bickerstaff .
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The Cavs will enter the regular season with the 15th-longest odds to win the NBA title, according to the DraftKings Sportsbook . They've been given the sixth-best odds in the East, behind the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks , Philadelphia 76ers , Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat .
Here are three reasons why the Cavs could make the jump into the top tier of contenders in the East.
Kenny Atkinson talks to the media July 1 in Independence after being named new coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Cavs hire Kenny Atkinson to push Cleveland to the next level in 2024-25
Several Cavs players talked about "running it back" with virtually the same roster this season. During the team's media day , Caris LeVert was blunt in pushing back against any other notion, effectively saying, "Why wouldn't we?"
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Once Donovan Mitchell agreed to sign a long-term extension, the Cavs could push forward at full speed with this roster core. There were rumors of Darius Garland wanting out of Cleveland if Mitchell re-signed, but he said those were absolutely false .
But the position of head coach was the one major spot the franchise wanted to change. Bickerstaff led the Cavs out of a rebuild and to their first playoff series win without LeBron James in 30 years, but the Cavs felt a more offensive-minded coach leading the way might better fit Mitchell, Garland and Co.
Even as Mobley has emerged as one of the league's best defensive big men, the Cavs hope a system like Atkinson's can unlock the next level in Mobley's offensive game.
Atkinson was brought in for one reason — take the Cavs to the next level with a new offensive approach.
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Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell poses for a photo during media day, Sept. 30, 2024, in Cleveland.
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Mitchell said he really knew around January he wanted to re-sign and stay in Cleveland for the long haul, and several Cavs teammates noted they weren't surprised at all he did, but it's reasonable to acknowledge how any slump or shortcoming led to questions about the Cavs' long-term stability last season with Mitchell's future unknown.
That is no longer the case. Mitchell, Garland, Mobley and Jarrett Allen will all remain in Cleveland for the next several seasons. With this player core, which also includes Max Strus (who will miss six weeks with an injury) and Isaac Okoro , the Cavs have a very clear three-year window with players they have under contract. Or, at the very least, they have two full years before they need to make any real roster decisions.
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There are no longer any lingering clouds about who might be going where in the short term. They know this is where they'll be, and this is where their title shot exists. And Mitchell, a top-15 player in the NBA entering this season in terms of MVP odds, is in the middle of it all .
Cavs roster for opening night: Cleveland Cavaliers set roster to open 2024-25 season. See the list
Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell warms up before a preseason game against the Pistons, Oct. 16, 2024 in Detroit.
Cavaliers have chance to be healthy in playoffs after short-handed loss to Boston Celtics
There's another reason the Cavs feel they can "run it back" with virtually the same roster, and that is they don't believe they were given a full swing at the Celtics last season.
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Jarrett Allen , who still has a piece of his ribs floating around, and then Donovan Mitchell highlighted a series of poorly timed injuries in the playoffs. It left the Cavs shorthanded against the eventual champions.
Last year, it was clear the Cavs would likely be in the 3-5 range when it came to playoff seeding. Having homecourt advantage is important, but it was clear the regular season wouldn't prove much for the Cavs. That chance would have to wait until the playoffs — but they never got it while at full strength.
Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley gets ready to shoot a foul shot against the Pistons in the first quarter, Oct. 16, 2024, in Detroit.
This year, the Cavs hope to have some better injury luck in April and May. The road to the playoffs won't be as easy, though. There's some more traffic in those lanes.
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The East probably has a top eight when it comes to playoff contenders. That might create a mad dash for some teams as they try to clinch one of the top-six seeds, which would avoid the play-in tournament. So while the Cavs have their sights set on the playoffs, there won't be as much cruising room in 2024-25, either.
But these Cavs feel with this roster, if they can remain healthy at the right time, they'll have a chance to really show their potential — for the first time.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Cavaliers 2024-25 season preview: Why the Cavs can contend
