The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a 3-2 start, and Bleacher Report has them slotted ninth among NBA teams after the first five games of the 2026-27 season.
Cleveland opened with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers before bouncing back with wins over the Brooklyn Nets, Minnesota Timberwolves and Washington Wizards. The Cavaliers then dropped Game 5 to the Atlanta Hawks.
The scoring has been there so far. Cleveland is putting up 118.0 points per game, which ranks ninth in the league. The problem has been on the other end, where the Cavaliers are allowing 117.0 points per game, good for 20th.
Donovan Mitchell has carried the offense early, leading the team with 24.2 points per game. He’s shooting 47.1% from the field, 36.4% from 3-point range and 87.1% at the line.
Even with the 3-2 mark, the Cavaliers have already let one big one slip away. They had a 29-point lead on opening night against LeBron James and the 76ers, then watched it disappear in brutal fashion. Philadelphia ripped off a 37-21 third quarter and followed with a 32-16 fourth to steal a 114-106 win.
That kind of finish has a familiar sting for Cleveland. The Cavaliers reached the conference finals last season for the first time without James on the roster since 1992, but they also blew a massive lead in Game 1 against the Knicks at MSG. Down 22 with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter, New York leaned on Jalen Brunson attacking James Harden on defense, and the Knicks finished with a 44-11 run in the fourth quarter and overtime to win 115-104.
Now the Cavaliers are back in the same conversation, trying to prove they can finish what they start. Mitchell is attempting to do what James did in 2016, when the 2015-16 Cavaliers beat the 73-9 Golden State Warriors to win the only NBA title in franchise history.
For Cleveland, that still comes back to the final minutes. As the source put it, to win it all, Mitchell and the Cavaliers need to learn how to close game.
Mitchell signed a four-year, $273 million maximum contract extension this offseason. He came into the year with career averages of 25.1 points per game in the regular season and 27.8 points per game in the playoffs with the Utah Jazz and Cavaliers.
The next chance to clean things up comes Saturday against the Milwaukee Bucks, who are just 1-4.
In Other News...
Cavs Just Unlocked A Formula The Bucks Couldnt Handle
The Cavaliers found a way to make life miserable for Milwaukee by leaning into the size and skill of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, and it showed on both ends of the floor. Allen and Mobley were central to the game plan, giving Cleveland a steadier interior presence than the Bucks could handle while also helping set the tone defensively. Donovan Mitchell and Mario Hezonja chipped in as well, but the night was defined by how often Cleveland could turn to its frontcourt and keep the pressure on.
For the Bucks, the problem was less about one hot hand than a broader inability to keep Clevelands bigs from dictating the action. Milwaukees defense struggled to contain the Cavaliers inside, and the matchup exposed just how difficult it can be when Cleveland gets that part of its offense rolling. Tyler Herro also came up short of expectations, adding to a night in which the Bucks never quite found the answer to the Cavaliers interior edge. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Face A Backcourt Problem That Could Force A Tough Choice
Since Donovan Mitchell arrived, the Cavaliers have lived with a familiar problem in the backcourt: how to keep enough defensive size on the floor without dulling the offense. James Harden has helped some because of his strength and ability to hold up better inside, but opponents still look to drag him into space and attack with quicker guards, which keeps Cleveland searching for cleaner lineup answers.
The numbers have only sharpened the debate, because Mitchell and Harden have looked better when they are not sharing the floor and Cleveland has gotten more from Mitchell alongside shooting around him. Harden still matters as a late-game scorer and Mitchell remains the engine, but the Cavs are weighing whether a different starting mix might better fit the way they want to defend and close games. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs May Have Found The Offensive Formula Fans Wanted
Kenny Atkinson made it clear he wanted Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley more involved offensively, and the Cavaliers responded in a way that looked a lot like the kind of balance this roster has been chasing. Against Milwaukee, Cleveland leaned into its size and kept working the ball inside, a formula that put pressure on a Bucks defense that struggled to hold up around the rim.
The result was a convincing 136-111 win built on interior dominance and a frontcourt that kept the offense humming. Mobley and Allen were central to that push, and the Cavs spent the night attacking the paint with enough consistency to make the matchup feel lopsided long before the final buzzer. The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night answer or the start of something Cleveland can keep repeating. [Read more 🡒]