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Jamal Collier
DURING THE THIRD session of their preseason preparations, the Cleveland Cavaliers opted for a diversion from their usual basketball drills. On October 2nd, under the sweltering Florida sun in Bradenton, with temperatures reaching 87 degrees, the Cavaliers held their training camp at IMG Academy. Coach Kenny Atkinson likened the sprawling multisport complex to an Olympic village.
Atkinson’s objective was to structure a training camp that transcended the conventional basketball focus, aiming to disrupt the potential tedium of a lengthy season and fostering camaraderie among the Cavaliers, which they could draw upon throughout the year.
Consequently, the team found itself on the track that afternoon, engaging in a cardio-intensive exercise session, conveniently situated adjacent to the baseball field.
Jaylon Tyson, the sophomore guard propelled into the starting lineup due to unforeseen injuries, boldly challenged the team’s linchpin, Donovan Mitchell, to a duel on the baseball diamond, confidently asserting his ability to secure a hit off him.
The entire squad rallied to witness the spectacle.
Mitchell assumed the pitcher’s stance. His father, Donovan Sr., a former minor league baseball player and long-time employee of the Mets, instilled in his son a profound passion for the sport. Mitchell’s involvement in baseball extended through his high school years, and he maintains that a professional career was within his grasp.
Tyson, after several unsuccessful swings, managed to make contact, resulting in a foul tip. This quickly escalated into an impromptu team batting practice.
Given his baseball background, Mitchell was the sole player entrusted with pitching duties. When it was Mitchell’s turn to bat, and with willing members of IMG Academy available to pitch, the Cavaliers’ star unleashed a pair of home runs – a testament to the Cavaliers’ version of Shohei Ohtani, at least amongst a group primarily known for their basketball prowess.
“Just flaunting my abilities a bit,” Mitchell confessed to ESPN. “Showing what I’m capable of.”
Mitchell is entering his fourth season of showcasing his capabilities for the Cavaliers. It also marks the fourth year for the celebrated core of Mitchell, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and Darius Garland, a combination that has rekindled the Cavaliers’ status as contenders within the Eastern Conference.
Despite this, Mitchell has yet to experience the conference finals, with the Cavaliers consistently falling short in the playoffs over the past two seasons, both times in the semifinals.
In 2024, they succumbed to the Boston Celtics in five games, who subsequently claimed the NBA championship. In response, the Cavaliers dismissed their coach, J.B. Bickerstaff, during the summer and appointed Atkinson as his successor.
Atkinson’s inaugural season saw the team achieve a remarkable 64-win regular season, followed by a sweep of the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs, fueling hopes of a return to the Finals. However, the Cavaliers were once again ousted in Round 2, enduring a five-game defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, exacerbated by injuries to key players such as Garland, Mobley, and De’Andre Hunter.
This particular brand of monotony was different — not easily rectified by a simple scheduling adjustment.
HUNTER RUMINATED ON THAT playoff series throughout the summer months, dedicating countless hours to reviewing game footage to pinpoint areas for improvement and address shortcomings. He deliberately avoided watching film of their victories, focusing instead on their defeats.
His analysis led him to a revealing, albeit somewhat unsatisfying, conclusion.
“It was more of a mental hurdle than anything else,” Hunter explained to ESPN. “Game 1 was a must-win for us. Had we won that game, the entire series would have unfolded differently. We exhibited mental fragility at times, while they demonstrated greater mental fortitude.”
The Pacers had seized an early 11-point advantage on Cleveland’s home court in Game 1, and then concluded the fourth quarter with a decisive 20-10 run to secure the victory.
“I don’t believe it was a matter of physical dominance or a disparity in skill,” Hunter continued. “I genuinely believe it was predominantly a mental challenge.”
Once more, Cleveland commenced the season as the frontrunner, according to ESPN BET, to emerge victorious in the Eastern Conference, possessing the third-best odds to claim the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy – surpassing the expectations set during LeBron James’ final season with the team in 2017-18.
Therefore, Cleveland is reaffirming its commitment to the previous season’s strategy — emphasizing the pivotal role of third-year big man Evan Mobley as the centerpiece of their operations.
The Cavaliers experienced their most triumphant regular season in a decade last year by decreasing their dependence on Mitchell and placing greater emphasis on Mobley. This shift appears to be well-founded.
Throughout the previous two postseasons, Mitchell has amassed 11 games with 30 or more points; however, the Cavaliers have only managed a 5-6 record in those contests.
For the team to advance to the conference finals, the Cavaliers recognize the need to rely less on Mitchell as their versatile, Ohtani-esque figure; cultivate a more dynamic and varied offensive approach, integrating new role players such as Hunter and Lonzo Ball into their already robust system; and delegate greater responsibility to Mobley.
The Cavaliers have posted a 4-3 record thus far — a relatively modest beginning; they did not suffer their third defeat last season until November 29th. Their defensive performance remains among the top 10 in the league, but their offensive output ranks 26th.
“These minor trials can prove beneficial come playoff time,” Hunter remarked. “We’re in for a long season, replete with tests along the way. Successfully navigating these challenges will prepare us. And, in all honesty, experiencing playoff losses, whether it’s a year removed or not, prepares you for the next time you face adversity.”
Mitchell also perceives progress amidst the early setbacks. Reflecting on their rapid ascent through the previous regular season, he believes their task this season is to ensure they are better positioned for success in the playoffs.
“It’s all about cultivating habits, man. It’s not something you simply figure out on the spot,” Mitchell stressed. “We still have work to do. That’s what the regular season is for. You can’t simply say we’ll wait until April, because the foundation for everything you do in April is laid throughout the season.”
MITCHELL RECEIVED NEWS in mid-August that the Cavaliers would be without two starters at the outset of the season.
Garland’s toe surgery, following the conclusion of the playoffs in June, was set to sideline him for the beginning of the season, and Mitchell subsequently learned that Max Strus required surgery to repair a fracture in his left foot.
Mitchell had taken a personal hiatus from basketball after the second disappointing playoff exit. He became engaged to R&B artist Coco Jones in July. He also delved deeper into his passion for the Mets, joining New York shortstop Francisco Lindor for an in-depth conversation on his podcast. The playoff loss lingered, and he sought to clear his mind.
However, the news then broke that, in addition to being shorthanded two starters, the Cavaliers’ leading scorer off the bench, Ty Jerome, had signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent. Mitchell’s real offseason commenced.
“Realizing that we messed up,” Mitchell told ESPN. “Now it’s like, how do we prevent a recurrence?”
He soon connected with Mobley.
Injuries played a significant role in the successive playoff eliminations. Mitchell himself was sidelined for the final two games of the 2024 conference semifinals against Boston. In the series against the Pacers in 2025, Garland missed the first two games; Mobley and Hunter were absent for Game 2; and Mitchell was hampered by an ankle injury by the end of the series.
Mitchell is coming off a season in which he posted a 30.9% usage rate, his lowest since his rookie season in 2017-18. However, during the playoffs, partly due to the injuries surrounding him, it surged to 37.2%, the highest among all players in the playoffs and one of the highest in his career.
“Me and Mobley had a conversation, and it was like, ‘Hey, last year he took a step,'” Mitchell said. “That’s his first year really having the ball like that. Now it’s like, ‘I’m not open…it’s you. That offense creation is coming from you. That’s what we expect out of you.’ But with that comes great responsibility, too.”
Mobley, 24, achieved career highs in points, field goal attempts, 3-pointers, and free throws last season, in addition to securing the Defensive Player of the Year award. This earned him a spot in the All-Star Game and his inaugural All-NBA selection, but the Cavaliers believe they are only scratching the surface of his potential.
“He’s handling the ball even more,” Atkinson said. “He’s got to be a playmaker for us, and you’re going to see an increase in usage again. But I want that balance — between perimeter and getting him the ball inside and getting him the paint.”
Mobley’s usage rate has risen to 24.7% thus far this season, a notable increase from the 23.2% he recorded in the 2024-25 season. He has also assumed greater playmaking responsibilities, averaging a career-best 4.4 assists per game.
“I just got to keep taking that on,” Mobley told ESPN, “Taking the challenges.”
The nature of those challenges remains uncertain. After shooting 49.1% last season, the second-best mark in the league (behind Denver’s 50.6%), the Cavaliers have commenced this season shooting 44.5%, ranking 24th in the NBA. They are making the same number of 3-pointers, but requiring four more shot attempts per game to achieve that.
Mitchell has accounted for 33.7% of the Cavaliers’ points this season, the highest percentage during his four-year tenure in Cleveland, and he is generating many of his shots off the dribble. According to ESPN Research, 81% of his made 2-pointers have been unassisted, and he is scoring more points than ever from midrange, 13.6% of his points compared to 9.9% last season.
“I don’t have the exact answer for you right now,” Mitchell said before the season. “That’s going to have to be a feeling. A lot of that, too, is where Evan’s at or where Dre’s at and just being ready for whatever comes.
“It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, you kind of revert back — but sometimes the situation calls for it. People were hurt, it’s not just ‘f— it, here I go.'”
That’s why Mitchell has placed such emphasis on Mobley, endeavoring to instill both confidence and assertiveness in the Cavaliers’ youngest star.
“I had to find that at his age early on when I first got into the league,” Mitchell said. “It’s a process. You’re seeing him being aggressive, which we’ll take. Now it’s like how am I being smart with that as well?
“I’m in his ear nonstop. … ‘Hey, you’re a threat, or there’s a pass here, or stop passing the f—ing ball, there’s no way player X should be able to guard you.’ He has it himself, not saying it’s all me. It’s reinforcing that.”
The Cavaliers are also aware that reinforcement is on the horizon.
Garland, still their most gifted playmaker, is nearing his season debut, Atkinson revealed last week. Garland participated in training camp with the Cavaliers’ G League affiliate and has fully recovered from his toe injury.
Ball, for his part, has already contributed to elevating the team’s 10th-ranked pace, and he has registered at least one steal in each of his past five games.
Within the organization, however, the Cavaliers recognize that their season hinges on that one young, modern big. They have been impressed by Mobley’s willingness to embrace more of the offensive workload, in addition to anchoring the defense. They believe it could be the key to another deep playoff run.
“If you watch him this offseason, he’s been locked in,” Cavs president Kolby Altman said before the start of the season. “He is really serious about taking that leap to being a top-five player in the league. … He’s grown, he’s still 24 years old, but now he’s becoming a grown man in terms of his body, his emotions.
“I think he’s ready to take that next step. I say it all the time: As he goes, we go.”
