Cavaliers could face another failed season

The Cleveland Cavaliers are built to win games. The problem is, they’re not built to survive.

On paper, Cleveland looks like one of the deepest teams in the East. It has Donovan Mitchell, an MVP-caliber scorer, Evan Mobley as the reigning DPOY and plenty of role players who can stretch the floor. Add Lonzo Ball, and it feels like a group with championship aspirations. But scratch beneath the surface, and the same issue keeps popping up: injuries. Those are exactly what could turn the season into another wasted one.

Ball is the clearest example. He hasn’t played a full NBA season since 2021 and has missed over two years with knee issues. He’s a brilliant connector when healthy — but calling him "injury-prone" might be generous. Counting on him for 70 games is unrealistic, and if he goes down, the Cavs’ point guard rotation is thin.

Then there’s Darius Garland, who had to undergo surgery this summer. Garland has missed chunks of multiple seasons with different problems— eye, hamstring, toe — and the constant stop-and-start rhythm has made it hard for the Cavs to maximize their system with Mitchell fully. Without Garland, defenses load up on Mitchell and force secondary creators to beat them.

Max Strus is also injured after suffering a foot fracture that will keep him out 3–4 months. Strus was supposed to be Cleveland’s ironman, a reliable shooter and floor spacer who could ease pressure on Mitchell. Instead, the Cavs are now down their most dependable wing at a time when continuity matters most.

The playoff collapse last year against Indiana was the perfect snapshot of what happens when health breaks down. Mitchell played on a fractured ankle, Garland was hobbled, Mobley was compromised and the rotation fell apart. The Cavs had earned the No. 1 seed, but none of it mattered when their roster crumbled in the second round. A team built to thrive over 82 games wasn’t ready for the reality of May basketball.

The troubling part is that this pattern isn’t new — it’s becoming the Cavs’ identity. They can overwhelm opponents in the regular season with depth, energy and Mitchell’s star power. But in the postseason, the game slows, rotations shrink and the smallest cracks widen. For Cleveland, those cracks are always tied to bodies breaking down.

Ball was supposed to be the wild card that tipped the balance. If he could return to even 80 percent of his old self, the Cavs would gain a stabilizer who lifts everyone else. But the truth is, the Cavs are asking for a miracle from someone who hasn’t been healthy for years. When you add Garland’s issues, Strus’ absence and the fact that Mitchell is coming off his own injury-plagued playoffs, the picture doesn’t look like a contender — it looks like a house of cards.

The East is too competitive for a team to limp through another season and expect results. Boston, Milwaukee, Indiana and New York all have healthier, more reliable cores. Cleveland has the talent to compete with anyone, but talent alone doesn’t survive the grind of a playoff run. 

If the Cavs don’t get luckier — or smarter — about how they manage health, this season could end up looking a lot like the last one: a promising start, a painful middle and an early ending.

The Cavaliers aren’t short on skill. They’re short on availability. And in the NBA, that might be the biggest difference between a contender and another disappointment.