Inside The Cavaliers’ 2025 Struggles

Just a season ago, the Cavaliers were one of the NBA’s best perimeter shooting teams, knocking down 38.3 percent of their three-point attempts. Through a 27-game sample this season, that number has dropped to 34 percent, including the league’s worst three-point percentage over the last 10 games. Cleveland currently ranks 28th in the NBA from beyond the arc after finishing second a year ago.

Injuries have played a significant role in the decline. Shooting specialist Max Strus has yet to appear this season, while Sam Merrill has battled injuries that have limited his availability.

At the same time, several key contributors have struggled to find their rhythm. Darius Garland is shooting just 28.2 percent from three in the games he has played, a sharp drop from his 40.1 percent mark last season. De’Andre Hunter has seen a similar dip, falling from 42.6 percent a year ago to 30.3 percent this season.

Injuries Taking A Toll

As noted earlier, key contributor Max Strus has yet to appear this season for the Cavaliers. Jarrett Allen, Larry Nance Jr., and Sam Merrill have also been limited, each appearing in fewer than 17 games.

The most significant impact, however, has come from the unavailability and uneven play of Darius Garland. He has appeared in just 11 games and has rarely looked like himself, averaging 15.5 points per game while struggling with his efficiency.

Garland is expected to be Cleveland’s second or third offensive option, but he has been unreliable in that aspect this season. A toe injury suffered during the 2025 playoffs required surgery, sidelining him at the start of the year and continuing to limit how many games he can play consecutively.

That restriction has made it difficult for him to find an offensive rhythm due to reduced minutes in games and limited time on the practice floor.

The Loss Of Ty Jerome

The loss of guard Ty Jerome has proven more significant than the Cavaliers’ front office anticipated. Jerome served as a spark plug off the bench last season, averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists per game while providing instant offense in the regular season.

Despite struggling on both ends in last year’s playoff series against the Indiana Pacers, it was his first time playing meaningful minutes in a competitive playoff setting.

Cleveland ultimately chose not to extend Jerome an offer in free agency and instead tried to replace him with Lonzo Ball. While Ball brings strong passing instincts and defensive ability as a backup point guard, his scoring and shooting limitations have been apparent. Durability has also been a concern, as Ball has played just 55 games over the past four seasons and cannot play in back-to-backs.

With Garland also dealing with ongoing availability issues, the Cavaliers have been thin at point guard. The absence of a spark like Jerome, who can score 20 points on any given night, has been felt throughout the early part of the season.

End Of My Cleveland Cavaliers Rant

Cleveland’s start to the 2025 season has been underwhelming, to say the least. The good news is that the NBA favors teams that get hot at the right time.

Take last year’s Pacers, for example. They entered the playoffs as the fourth seed but nearly won the NBA Finals by peaking at the perfect moment.

With a long season still ahead and a relatively weak Eastern Conference, the Cavaliers still have a likely path to the playoffs. If they can get healthy and improve their shooting, they have a chance to peak at the right time rather than too early, like they did last season.