Will the Cavaliers lose their glory in the new season? In order to pry open the ceiling, labor pain is inevitable

Last season, the Cavaliers achieved their most successful regular season record in a decade by relying less on Mitchell and more on Mobley. In the past two playoffs, Mitchell has scored 30 points or more in 11 games; the Cavaliers are just 5-6 in those games.

In order to reach the conference finals, the Cavaliers realize that they need to reduce their reliance on Mitchell; they need to build a more dynamic and diverse offense. But entering this season with so much hope on their backs, the Cavaliers' performance at the beginning of the regular season was unsatisfactory. The Cavaliers currently have a record of 4-3, which is a relatively unsatisfactory start; last season they did not suffer their third loss until November 29. Their defense remains in the top ten, but their offensive efficiency ranks 26th in the league.

"Those little tests help us prepare for the playoffs," Hunter said. "We have a long season, and there are going to be a lot of tests along the way. The fact that we endure those tests will prepare us. And, honestly, losing like that in the playoffs, whether it's been a full year or not, prepares you for the next time you face adversity. "

Mitchell also saw improvement from early setbacks. After breezing through last regular season, he said their mission this season will be to ensure they are in a better position to succeed in the playoffs.

"Habits, man. You don't figure it out in a vacuum, " Mitchell said. "We still have to build. That's what the entire regular season is about. You can't just look ahead and say wait until April, because the foundation of everything you do in April is laid throughout the season. "

Mitchell learned in mid-August that the team would have two starters unavailable for early season games. Garland underwent toe surgery after the playoffs in June and will miss the start of the season. Mitchell then learned that Strus needed to repair a fracture in his left foot.

In addition to losing two starters, the Cavaliers' leading bench scorer Jerome also signed with the Memphis Grizzlies in the free market. "Understand, 'Hey, something happened, we messed up,' " Mitchell said. "Now it's like, 'Okay, how can we not mess this up next time? ' "

He quickly got in touch with Mobley.

Injuries played a role in two consecutive playoff exits. Mitchell himself missed the last two games of the 2024 conference semifinals against the Celtics. In the 2025 series against the Pacers, Garland missed the first two games; Mobley and Hunter missed the second game; and Mitchell was also troubled by an ankle injury at the end of the series.

Mitchell's usage rate last season was 30.9%, his lowest since his rookie season in 2017-18. But during the playoffs, due in part to injuries to teammates, his usage rate soared to 37.2%, the highest of any playoff player and one of the highest of his career.

"I talked to (Mobley) and I said, 'Hey, he took a step forward last year,' " Mitchell said. "That was his first year really holding the ball like that. Now it's like, 'Hey, if I don't get a chance ... that's up to you. Offensive creation is going to come from you. That's what we expect of you.' But with that comes a huge responsibility. "

The 24-year-old Mobley averaged career highs in points, field goal attempts, 3-pointers and free throws last season, in addition to winning Defensive Player of the Year. It earned him an All-Star Game appearance and his first All-Pro selection, but the Cavaliers still feel they've only scratched the surface of Mobley's potential.

"He's holding the ball more now, " Atkinson said. "He's got to play a playmaker role for us, and you're going to see his usage increase again. But I'm hoping for a balance -- between attacking on the outside, getting the ball to him inside and getting him into the paint. "

Mobley's usage rate has risen to 24.7% so far this season, which is a significant improvement from the 23.2% he will play in 2024-25. And he took on more organizational responsibilities, averaging a career-high 4.4 assists per game.

"I have to continue to take on this responsibility, " Mobley said, "meet the challenges. "

These challenges remain in question. After shooting 49.1% from the field last season (second in the league, behind the Denver Nuggets' 50.6%), the Cavaliers started this season with a field goal percentage of only 44.5%, ranking 24th in the NBA. They made the same number of 3-pointers but needed four more shots per game to reach that number.

Mitchell's scoring accounted for 33.7% of the Cavaliers' total points this season, the highest proportion in his four years in Cleveland, and many of his points came from shooting opportunities created by his own dribbling. According to ESPN, 81 percent of his 2-pointers have come from unassisted sources, and he's scoring more points from the midrange than ever before, accounting for 13.6 percent of his total points, compared with 9.9 percent last year.

"I don't have a definite answer for you right now, " Mitchell said before the season started. "It requires a feeling. A lot of times, it also depends on where (Evan) is, or where (Allen) is, and then be ready to deal with any situation. "

To reduce the Cavaliers' over-reliance on Mitchell, Mobley must play more proactively, but this also takes time. "When I was his age, I had to find that feeling when I first came into the league," Mitchell said. "It's a process. You see him become more aggressive, which is what we want. The question now is how to be aggressive while also being smart? "

"I kept communicating with him and kept saying...'Hey, you are a threat, or you can pass the ball here, or stop passing the ball from him. It is impossible for such and such player to guard you. 'He himself also has this ability, not that this is all my credit. This just reinforces that. "

Internally, the Cavaliers know their season hinges on the young, modern big man. They've been impressed by Mobley's willingness to take on more responsibility on offense while also shoring up defense. They know this could be the key to another deep playoff run.

"If You look at his performance this offseason, and he's been very focused," Cavaliers president of basketball operations Kobe Altman said before the season started. "He takes this step very seriously to make the leap to a top-five player in the league... He has grown, even though he is only 24 years old, but now he is becoming a mature man physically, emotionally. "

"I think he's ready to take the next step. I often say: The height he can reach determines how far we can go. "