The Cavs are back in front of their home crowd tonight, and that alone should change the mood after the Sixers game. Their home opener against the Brooklyn Nets gives them a chance to reset, and after not winning at Rocket Arena since Game 4 of the East Semis, the timing feels right.
The matchup also comes with a few clear things to watch, starting with the backcourt. Donovan Mitchell can score whenever he wants, but the bigger concern from Thursday wasn’t his shot volume.
It was the way the ball moved - or didn’t move. He finished with three assists and five turnovers, and the Cavs need more from him as a playmaker.
James Harden had a similar issue, posting five assists against six turnovers. That kind of line is hard to ignore when both starting guards are giving the ball away more than they’re creating.
Harden got some cover in the postseason because of his thumb, but that excuse is gone now. After all the time he’s spent in the league, this is just something he has to clean up.
If Cleveland can get more sharing between its guards, the offense should look a lot smoother. Fifteen combined assists and fewer turnovers would be the kind of number that changes the shape of the game.
The frontcourt is another key piece. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley came out strong against Philadelphia, and both were attacking early. Allen was particularly effective on post-ups, while Mobley showed the full package with finishes at the rim and a three-pointer.
That said, the issue isn’t how they begin. It’s whether they stay involved after halftime.
That was one of the problems in the postseason last year, when Mitchell and Harden weren’t getting their bigs enough touches. Mobley can’t disappear into a half with just three points and two rebounds, and Allen keeps establishing position, so the Cavs need to actually find him.
If the bigs keep getting consistent touches across the full game, Cleveland becomes a much tougher team to deal with.
The other area worth monitoring is the wing scoring. Sam Merrill took five shots in 24 minutes, Jaylon Tyson got six, and Peyton Watson had seven in 30 minutes. Those are the kinds of players who are supposed to provide the extra offense that rounds the roster out.
Merrill averaged 13 last year. Tyson averaged 13 last year.
Watson signed an $88 million contract, and it wasn’t just for his defense. He went 0-4 from deep, and his shot looked a little rusty, though Kenny Atkinson said they it’s only one game, and they aren’t worried.
Still, Cleveland looks its best when Tyson and Merrill are getting more chances. Merrill, in particular, had just one attempt after the break, and with the kind of shooter he is, that number has to climb. He can swing a game with his shot.
The shot distribution wasn’t the Cavs’ biggest problem on opening night, but it would help if it became part of the solution against Brooklyn. At 7:30 PM tomorrow night, Cleveland will be looking for its first win of 2026, and the hope is that this one shows a team capable of putting together a full game instead of just one competitive half.
In Other News...
LeBron Nearly Returned To Cleveland And Cavs Fans Will Hate Why
LeBron James has made it clear Cleveland was more than a passing thought during free agency, and the possibility naturally lingered over a fan base that has already lived through multiple chapters of his career. Bill Simmons and Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson both added to that picture, saying the sides believed a reunion was coming before the move ultimately went another direction, leaving plenty of room for second-guessing around what might have been.
For Cavaliers fans, the frustrating part is not just that James was in the mix, but that Cleveland was seriously part of the conversation as he weighed where to finish his career. James acknowledged as much, though he stopped short of laying out the details of how the decision turned. For a team still tied to his legacy, the revelation only sharpens the feeling that this one was close. [Read more 🡒]
Nets Already Face A Tough Early Test They Can't Afford To Flunk
The Cavaliers opened the season with a loss in Philadelphia, and the way it happened is the part that will stick with them. Cleveland built a 29-point lead before the Sixers turned up the pressure, forced the issue physically and dragged the game back into doubt, a collapse Kenny Atkinson said his team simply did not handle well.
That kind of lesson travels quickly in the standings, and it gives Cleveland an early reference point as the schedule moves on. The Nets are already coming off an opener of their own, and the teams around them are showing how much can still be decided by defense and poise this early, with Toronto even finding ways to win while its shot-making and ball security lagged. [Read more 🡒]
Donovan Mitchell Opens Up On What Could Fuel Clevelands Next Step
Donovan Mitchells latest comments around his contract situation offered another reminder of how central he has become to Clevelands present and future. After helping push the Cavaliers into the Eastern Conference Finals, Mitchell reflected on the disappointment of coming up short there, but also on the work he has done to handle the pressure that comes with the postseason stage. He pointed to mental performance coaching as part of that process, and he also credited the stability in his personal life, including the support of his family and his marriage to Coco Jones.
For the Cavaliers, the bigger takeaway is the way Mitchell continues to frame his time in Cleveland as something still being built rather than something nearing a finish. He said he intends to stay put and chase a title with this group, which matters as the team tries to turn a deep playoff run into the start of something more lasting. The next step, as always, will come down to whether that conviction can translate into the kind of postseason growth Cleveland has been seeking. [Read more 🡒]