The Cleveland Cavaliers are starting to find their rhythm, and it’s showing on the scoreboard. After a gritty road win over the Orlando Magic, the Cavs improved to 27-20-still not quite where they envisioned themselves at this point in the 2025-26 season, but the trajectory is finally heading in the right direction. This team, once the top seed in the East just a season ago, is beginning to flash that same high-level potential again.
One of the under-the-radar contributors in that win? Dean Wade.
The versatile wing chipped in 10 points, but his impact went far beyond the box score. Wade has quietly become one of the Cavs’ most reliable role players, doing the dirty work that doesn’t always make the highlight reel but consistently helps win games.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson didn’t mince words when asked about Wade’s value to the team.
“He’s the ultimate glue guy,” Atkinson said. “That’s the cliché everyone uses, but it’s true.”
And it’s not just the coaching staff that sees it. Wade’s teammates know exactly how important he is-especially on the defensive end. He drew the assignment of guarding Magic star Paolo Banchero and helped hold his own against one of the Eastern Conference’s rising offensive forces.
“We call him the ‘blanket,’” Donovan Mitchell said. “He finds ways to help us get stops.
And then when the ball is up in the air and I can’t get it, with Evan [Mobley] and J.A. [Jarrett Allen] boxing out, he goes climbing to grab it.
Those are the little things that win you games-and also win you playoff games.”
That’s the kind of praise that doesn’t come lightly, especially from a player like Mitchell, who knows what it takes to compete deep into the postseason. Wade’s instincts, hustle, and willingness to do the unglamorous work are exactly what teams lean on come April and May.
The Cavs have had to lean heavily on players like Wade this year, with injuries disrupting their core rotation. Darius Garland has missed time, and Max Strus is still waiting to make his season debut. That’s forced the team to dig deeper into its bench, and players like Wade have answered the call.
As Cleveland continues to climb the standings, the contributions from its role players will be crucial. The stars will get the headlines, but it’s the “blankets” of the roster-the guys who make winning plays in the margins-who often make the difference between a good team and a dangerous one.
The Cavs will look to keep the momentum going when they return home Monday night for a rematch against the Magic. If Wade and the rest of the supporting cast keep showing up like this, Cleveland might just be getting back to the version of itself that had the East on notice a year ago.