Cavs Trending Up as Key Pieces Return: Health Brings Hope, Not a Cure-All-Yet
The Cleveland Cavaliers are finally starting to resemble the team they were built to be-not because everything’s suddenly perfect, but because the roster is inching back toward full strength. After weeks of plugging holes and patching lineups with whoever was available, the Cavs are getting some much-needed reinforcements.
Heading into Monday night’s matchup with Charlotte, Cleveland welcomed back three important names: Donovan Mitchell, Craig Porter Jr., and Sam Merrill. That leaves just Evan Mobley, Larry Nance Jr., and Max Strus still on the shelf. For a team that recently had to call up Luke Travers from the G League Showcase just to field a full bench, this is a big step forward.
But here’s the twist: the most impactful return might not be the All-Star or the promising young guard. It might just be Sam Merrill.
Merrill’s Return: More Than Just a Shooter
Merrill hasn’t seen the court since Nov. 17 after injuring his right hand against Milwaukee. And while his name doesn’t carry the same weight as Mitchell or Mobley, his absence has been felt in all the little ways that don’t always show up in the box score.
**Spacing has shrunk. Movement has stalled.
Defensive cohesion has slipped. ** Merrill’s impact lives in those margins-the connective tissue of an offense that’s struggled to find rhythm without him.
“It’s the shooting, but it’s the gravity that goes with it,” head coach Kenny Atkinson said. “More room to drive, more room to get to the rim, more room for our better players.”
That gravity is real. Merrill doesn’t need the ball to tilt a defense.
Just being on the floor forces defenders to stay home, which opens up driving lanes and unlocks space for slashers and creators. His off-ball movement-cutting, relocating, keeping defenders engaged-helps generate the kind of dynamic offense Cleveland’s been missing.
And on the other end? Merrill competes.
He talks. He rotates.
He’s not a lockdown defender, but he’s reliable, and for a team that’s been preaching accountability and tightening up breakdowns, that matters.
Mitchell and Porter: Back to Full Speed
Donovan Mitchell and Craig Porter Jr. both missed just one game due to illness, but their return is a shot in the arm for a Cavs team that’s been running on fumes.
Mitchell’s impact is obvious-he changes the geometry of the floor the moment he steps on it. But his return also presents an interesting wrinkle: Darius Garland just dropped 35 points in a loss to Chicago while carrying the offense solo.
Garland looked aggressive and in rhythm, playing the kind of assertive basketball Cleveland needs from him consistently. Now the question becomes: how does Atkinson balance that version of Garland with Mitchell back in the mix?
It’s a good problem to have, and one that speaks to the kind of optionality this team has when healthy.
Porter’s return might fly under the radar, but structurally, he’s just as important. He brings downhill pressure, paint touches, and the kind of live-dribble creation that forces defenses to collapse.
Too many Cavs possessions lately have stalled out on the perimeter, ending in contested jumpers. Porter’s ability to get into the paint creates kickouts, closeouts, and rotations-exactly the kind of domino effect that leads to open looks and better flow.
Health Brings Flexibility, Not Guarantees
This is what health restores: flexibility. Instead of survival mode, Atkinson can start experimenting again.
Instead of players being asked to do too much, guys can slide back into roles that make sense. Instead of forcing offense, Cleveland can return to bending defenses with movement, spacing, and tempo-the core principles of what this team was built to be.
“The healthier we get, the better we’re going to be,” Atkinson said. “We’ve gone from pretty much the healthiest team in the league to pretty much not the healthiest team in the league.
Facts. Sixteen different starting lineups…”
He’s not wrong. This team has been through it. From Garland’s offseason surgery and lack of training camp, to the frontcourt duo of Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley barely sharing the floor, it’s been a season of adjustments.
“I’m buying this dip,” Atkinson added. “Because I know what we got coming, and I love our leadership.”
Still Missing Key Pieces
Even with Mitchell, Porter, and Merrill back, the Cavs aren’t quite whole. Mobley, Nance, and Strus remain out, and each of them brings something different to the table-rim protection, versatility, shooting.
Their eventual return will matter. But for now, the Cavs are finally moving toward something they haven’t had in weeks: stability.
It’s not a fix-all. It’s a foundation. And for a team that’s spent most of December just trying to stay afloat, that’s meaningful progress.