The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to look like the team everyone expected-and maybe even more than that.
After a rocky 24-20 start that had people around the league scratching their heads, the Cavs have flipped the script in a big way. They’ve now won nine of their last 10, and the energy around this group feels noticeably different. That’s not just coach-speak or postgame spin-it’s coming straight from the locker room.
“There’s definitely a different energy,” Jarrett Allen said after Cleveland’s gritty 119-117 win in Denver. “Everybody feels a new energy and another belief that we can go even farther than we did last year.”
And that belief? It’s not just talk. It’s showing up on the court.
The trade deadline brought in James Harden, Dennis Schroder, and Keon Ellis-a trio that’s already making its presence felt. Schroder and Ellis didn’t need big minutes to make a big impact in Saturday’s win over the Kings, each posting a plus-minus of +20 or better. That kind of efficiency off the bench is exactly what Cleveland’s second unit has been missing.
Then came Harden’s turn in Denver. The veteran guard delivered a vintage performance: 22 points, 10 boards, seven assists, and three blocks. It wasn’t just the stat line-it was the way he controlled the game’s tempo and gave the Cavs another high-level playmaker to lean on when things got tight.
But maybe the biggest shift has come from Donovan Mitchell.
He’s looked fully unleashed since the trade-dropping 35 against Sacramento and following it up with 32 in Denver. Head coach Kenny Atkinson called it “a different energy” from his star guard, and it’s not hard to see why. Mitchell is playing like a man on a mission, and he’s not hiding what’s fueling him.
“I think you understand what’s at stake,” Mitchell said. “You see what’s here.
There’s a window. This is the window.
This is the time. In a sense, the team is going all in.
It’s time to go.”
That’s the kind of mindset you want from your franchise player-especially when the front office makes a move like this. Adding Harden isn’t about building for the future.
It’s about winning now. And Mitchell is embracing the urgency.
“When you make that move, understanding James’ age and where he’s at in his career, the time is now,” he said. “There is no ‘runway’ in a sense with a group like that.
You sacrifice even more. You believe even more.
You go out there and feel it even more.”
The numbers back it up. Cleveland went 4-1 on their West Coast swing, including wins over playoff-caliber teams.
At 33-21, they’re climbing the standings and gaining momentum at just the right time. Next up: a home matchup with the Wizards on Wednesday, followed by eight days off for the All-Star break.
For Mitchell, the expectations aren’t a burden-they’re fuel.
“I love the pressure of it. I love the expectation of it,” he said.
“I love the questions that have come from it. I love it.
We need that. Embrace it.
When you make that move, what are you making it for? To win a championship.
That’s what it is.”
And that’s the message coming out of Cleveland right now: the Cavs aren’t just trying to get back to where they were last season. They’re aiming higher. With a retooled roster, a reenergized locker room, and a star who’s all-in, the Cavaliers are officially back in the contender conversation.