The Cavaliers know how to win in the regular season. What they haven’t answered yet is the one question that hangs over every team with bigger dreams: who closes the game when the playoffs tighten the screws?
That’s the hole ESPN’s Ben Golliver pointed to entering Cleveland’s third season under coach Kenny Atkinson, calling it a “playoff closer.” It’s a fitting label for a roster that has put up big win totals, advanced deep once, and still walked away with more doubt than celebration.
Donovan Mitchell has lived that reality as much as anyone. Cleveland won 64 games two seasons ago and then lost in the second round.
Last season brought a trip to the East finals, only for the Cavaliers to be swept by the Knicks. Mitchell himself has suggested that criticism of the team’s postseason staying power is fair.
So the search for the late-game answer remains open. Mitchell is the obvious candidate.
James Harden might be the guy on some nights. Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen could step into that role.
Or the answer might still be somewhere outside the current roster.
Golliver noted that Mitchell reached “a new milestone by leading a team to the conference finals for the first time in his nine-year career,” but Cleveland still had to consider “whether its expensive and veteran-dominated roster will ever be able to get over the hump.” He added that instead of blowing things up or making a coaching change, the Cavaliers stayed together and brought in forward Peyton Watson to help fill what had been “its biggest starting lineup hole.”
Cleveland’s decision to run it back says plenty. The organization clearly believes this group can finally push through, which is why it kept the core intact and re-signed Harden this summer. The team is prepared to be patient and ignore the outside chatter while it waits to see whether the pieces fit.
But the chatter never really goes away, especially for teams that haven’t finished the job.
“Once the Cavaliers elected to run it back, the pressure returned to Mitchell, Harden and Evan Mobley to deliver a Finals run,” Golliver wrote. “The 37-year-old Harden showed his age by averaging 4.7 turnovers in the 2026 postseason, and Mobley struggled to take over in close games due to his limited shot-creating ability and range. Mitchell remains Cleveland’s best option to play hero, but his recent playoff track record suggests he’s at risk of being outdueled by rival stars.”
That’s the truth Cleveland is carrying into the season. The Cavaliers have wins, depth and continuity. What they still need is someone who can seize a playoff game when everything gets cramped, physical and loud.
Maybe Mitchell becomes that player. Maybe Harden can do it in stretches.
Maybe Mobley grows into the role. Until then, the biggest question around this team stays exactly where it is.
In Other News...
Mario Hezonja Is Making Clevelands Rotation Battle More Interesting
Mario Hezonja has spent the Cavaliers preseason making his case one rep at a time, and the early returns have at least made the frontcourt conversation a little more intriguing. After years in Europe, he has been adjusting to the NBA game again, with Cleveland seeing signs of growth in his comfort level, pace and overall fit as the team sorts through how it wants to use its big bodies.
Kenny Atkinson has kept the focus on role and fit rather than anything permanent, which is exactly why Hezonjas presence matters this time of year. The Cavaliers are still figuring out how their rotation will shake out as the regular season nears, and Hezonjas size and strength give them another option for frontcourt depth in a group where every spot seems to be under review. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs May Have Found The Two-Way Wing This Roster Needed
The Cavaliers spent the 2026 offseason adding Peyton Watson from Denver, and the early return has been the kind of low-drama, high-value fit teams hope for when they make a swing on the wing. Cleveland has clearly liked what it has seen so far, and Watson has been welcomed quickly by his new teammates as the sort of long, athletic presence that can help stabilize a lineup on both ends.
There is also a reason his arrival has carried extra weight inside the room. Donovan Mitchell has been among the voices impressed by Watsons defensive ability and winning approach, and the Cavs appear to view him as more than just a depth addition. He has already carved out a place in the rotation, and his game looks tailor-made for Kenny Atkinsons system, which makes the next step less about whether he belongs and more about how large a role Cleveland will ultimately trust him with. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Finally Got The Preseason Look Fans Needed
For the first time this preseason, the Cavaliers were able to put a fully healthy roster on the floor against Orlando, giving fans the kind of look they had been waiting for. The group of James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Peyton Watson, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen finally gave Cleveland a chance to see its intended shape, and the result was a game with enough strong defensive stretches and offensive rhythm to hint at what the rotation could look like once the games start counting.
Harden was the standout on the night, giving Cleveland a steady scoring presence while the rest of the group showed how much balance the roster can have when everyone is available. There is still one more meeting with the Magic in Orlando to finish the preseason, and for a team that has spent much of camp waiting to get to this point, the bigger question now is how much of this look will carry over when the margin for error disappears. [Read more 🡒]