The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the 2025-26 season with renewed championship expectations after a dominant regular season that saw them capture 64 wins.
The core group that powered that success remains intact, creating optimism throughout the organization about their ability to translate regular season excellence into postseason glory.
Early power rankings reflect this confidence in Cleveland’s potential.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz recently placed the Cavaliers at No. 3 in his projected starting lineup rankings, trailing only the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder.
“Continuity and growth from Evan Mobley helped this starting lineup make a major leap last season, going from a net rating of plus-2.3 in 2023-24 to plus-11.5 in 2024-25. All five starters return once again, although there’s an argument for De’Andre Hunter to replace Max Strus at small forward given his size. Mitchell is a first-team All-NBA star in the prime of his career. Mobley won Defensive Player of the Year at age 23 and Garland made the All-Star team for the second time in his young career. With Strus and Allen happy to fill in the gaps, this starting core is going to be elite again,” Swartz wrote.
The projected starting five features Darius Garland at point guard, Donovan Mitchell at shooting guard, Max Strus at small forward, Evan Mobley at power forward, and Jarrett Allen at center.
This group’s statistical improvement tells the story of their development.
The jump from a plus-2.3 net rating to plus-11.5 demonstrates how their chemistry evolved into dominance during the regular season.
Cleveland made minimal roster changes during the offseason, prioritizing continuity over major additions.
The team added depth pieces like De’Andre Hunter and Lonzo Ball to provide rest for starters while maintaining competitive intensity.
Health remains the primary concern after injuries disrupted previous campaigns.
The Cavaliers face challenging early matchups before a lighter midseason schedule that could help them build momentum for another playoff run.
If this core stays healthy, Cleveland has positioned itself as a legitimate threat to win the Eastern Conference.
NEXT: NBA Insider Names Cavs' 'X-Factor' This Season
