For Cavs, it's Finals or bust
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Spida has never been more locked in. Photo: Jason Miller/Getty Images
The Cleveland Cavaliers tip off the 2025-26 season at New York's Madison Square Garden Wednesday, which means it's time to reintroduce Cavs Corner, our weekly hoops dispatch.
Why it matters: The Cavs have the most viable path to the NBA Finals since the LeBron era. It should be another exhilarating season.
Record: (0-0).
The big picture: The NBA's Eastern Conference is reeling after devastating injuries to Boston's Jayson Tatum and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton.
- Consensus holds that Cleveland and New York are the teams to beat.
State of play: Coming off consecutive second-round playoff exits, the Cavs are the NBA's most expensive roster and had limited flexibility to add talent this offseason.
- Backup point guard Lonzo Ball and fan favorite Larry Nance Jr. are among the additions.
😎 Vibe check: Confident, with trace elements of anxiety.
- Injuries to Darius Garland, Max Strus and De'Andre Hunter to start the season are not ideal.
- The Cavs will take a more cautious approach — including by resting stars more deliberately — to ensure the team is ready for the playoffs.
👀 What we're watching: Sophomore Jaylon Tyson could be in line for significant minutes. Can he add offensive tools to his high-energy game?
- Will Donovan Mitchell shoulder an even greater scoring burden with his teammates banged up? And will that translate to more MVP votes?
📺 ICYMI: All games this year will once again stream on the FanDuel Sports Network, with John Michael, Brad Daugherty and Serena Winters as the primary broadcast crew.
- Iman Shumpert, a member of the 2016 NBA Championship team, will join select pre- and postgame shows.
One fun thing: The Cavs "City Edition" alternate uniforms this year are Navy throwbacks to the first LeBron era — instant classics.
What's next: Wednesday at New York; Friday at Brooklyn; Sunday vs. Milwaukee; Monday at Detroit.