Cleveland keeps turning its teams into one another’s biggest fans, and Friday night at Progressive Field fit that pattern perfectly.
The Cavaliers were back in the building for the Guardians’ ALDS Game 5 win, bringing the kind of noise that had been missing in the first two games. Donovan Mitchell was there, along with Evan Mobley, Tyrese Proctor, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Craig Porter Jr., all taking in the moment as Cleveland kept rolling. Travis Kelce also showed up to back the Guardians, adding more fuel to a crowd already buzzing.
Mitchell has been especially visible in all of this. On Thursday night, he wore a Jo Adell jersey before the preseason game against Orlando, then switched into a team jersey once his day was done.
Adell answered by wearing a Mitchell jersey to Game 5, a neat little exchange that underscored the respect between the two sides. As the source noted, Mitchell also came through properly with a Jose Ramirez jersey.
That mattered for more than style points. Ramirez delivered the biggest swing of the night, blasting the go-ahead two-run homer in the fourth inning of a 2-0 win.
The city’s cross-team support has been a running theme, and this weekend was another example. The Cavs have spent plenty of time together this summer, showing up at weddings, the US Open, and local high school football games. That bond has been hard to miss.
And it’s not just a one-way street. The story pointed back to the Guardians backing the Cavs in last year’s playoffs, the Browns regularly appearing around NBA games, and even James Harden being at a game two weeks ago while giving a shoutout to Deshaun Watson.
There’s still more ahead. The Guardians are trying to pull the upset and reach the World Series for the first time since 2016.
The Cavs, meanwhile, still have two preseason games against the Orlando Magic before closing out the exhibition schedule on Oct. 13.
For now, though, Cleveland has done what it so often does: show up for its own.
In Other News...
Cavaliers Face A Real Rotation Crunch Kenny Atkinson Can't Ignore
The Cavaliers are already running into one of the trickiest problems a contender can face: how to keep established veterans and rising young players engaged when every minute matters. With Donovan Mitchell and James Harden setting the tone for a team built to win now, Cleveland also has to find room for prospects like Jaylon Tyson, Meleek Thomas, Craig Porter Jr. and Khalifa Diop, all while trying to keep the bigger picture intact for the season ahead.
Kenny Atkinson is the one left managing the balance, and it is not a simple handoff between present and future. The Cavs want championship-level production from their core, but they also need meaningful developmental reps for younger talent that could matter down the line, which means the rotation is already shaping up as a daily puzzle rather than a settled chart. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Have An Early Rotation Problem Worth Watching Tonight
The Cavaliers are already getting an early look at one of the more interesting questions of camp as they head into their second preseason game, coming off a loss in the opener. Kenny Atkinson is using these games to sort out rotations and take a longer look at the young players competing for backup point guard minutes, while also trying to build on the defensive activity and playmaking that showed up in the first outing.
There is still some unfinished business in the backcourt and on the glass, where rebounding remains an area the staff wants to clean up. Atkinson is also expected to give the starters a little more run than they got in the first preseason game, so this one should offer a better read on both the hierarchy and the pace of the coach's decisions as camp moves forward. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Proctor Is Building A Real Case For Cavaliers Minutes
Peyton Watson did Tyrese Proctor a favor this week by putting into words what the Cavaliers have seen as the young guard settles into his second season. Watson praised Proctors seriousness, his attention to detail and the way he tends to be in the right spot at the right time, the sort of public backing that usually matters because it comes from a teammate, not a coach or a front office voice.
For Cleveland, the bigger question is how that kind of professionalism translates into actual court time. The guard rotation is crowded behind Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, and Proctor is competing with Craig Porter Jr. and Meleek Thomas for what is left. There is only so much room, but if Proctor keeps building that reputation, he can make it harder for the Cavaliers to leave him on the fringe as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]