CLEVELAND, Ohio — Acceptance is the first step of transformation.
As the Cavs ventured to Florida for the start of training camp at IMG Academy — the first stop on their title quest — they brought with them haunting lessons that serve as a possible road map to an elusive ring.
“Been back-to-back years of losing that way in the second round,” said playoff-tested swingman Max Strus during the team’s annual media day on Monday. “I think we have learned multiple lessons along the way. It was another growth moment for us. I think guys have been dedicated to getting better this summer and taking it upon themselves to come back with an optimistic mindset of changing the script.”
So, what did Cleveland learn from the Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the Pacers?
“I think we just weren’t mentally ready,” forward De’Andre Hunter said bluntly. “Obviously, we had injuries and things like that. Other teams did as well, so you can’t really use that as an excuse. I just think mentally, we weren’t mentally tough in that series.”
More Cavs coverage
Why the 2025 Guardians are like nothing we’ve ever seen; time for a Browns QB change? Terry’s Talkin’ podcast
What we learned from Cavs Media Day: Wine and Gold Talk podcast
Did Lonzo Ball really not know Cleveland was near Lake Erie?
It sounds harsh. But it’s a necessary acknowledgment.
Last season, the Cavs danced and pranced while rewriting the record books and vaulting to the top of the conference. They won 64 games, the second-most in franchise history. They hung a central division banner. They secured homecourt advantage throughout the East playoffs. They were the only team with three NBA All-Stars — Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Historical winning streaks. Individual accolades. Earned esteem. It was a remarkable regular season. But then came a stunning flameout, with this heavily favored regular season juggernaut getting bounced in five games.
For the wounded Cavaliers, there was only one path forward.
Look in the mirror. Confront the truth. Recognize the problems and attempt to solve them. It appears that’s what they did this summer. Hunger, dedication and urgency emanate from this organization.
“I think you have to go through something like that to really test you to see where you’re at,” Hunter said. “I think that series showed that we’re not there yet. I think that’s how you build mental toughness — by going through a situation that’s similar, not getting over it and coming back and getting over that hump. That’s how you do it. We have a goal, we have a mission, and we’re all on the same page.”
“There’s been a level of maturity that has risen,” Strus added. “I think everybody kind of took it personal last year and realizes what’s at hand here and realizes how special this group of players is and how special this team is that we have. Don’t want to waste years. As we all found out, the regular season doesn’t matter. When those lights get bright again in the playoffs, just be ready.”
It’s not even October yet. There are nine months until an NBA champion will be crowned. This is the time of year that hope permeates and excitement reigns.
Only it’s not without merit.
Despite two expected starters — Garland and Strus — still recovering from offseason surgeries that will cause both to miss time when the regular season begins on Oct. 22, Cleveland enters as one of the co-favorites in the East.
An already deep and talented roster has been reinforced with new additions — veterans Lonzo Ball, Larry Nance Jr., Thomas Bryant and rookie Tyrese Proctor. Others seem ready for a bigger role — Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr. and Dean Wade. Coach Kenny Atkinson is entering Year 2, with minor stylistic enhancements in mind, including new conditioning practices. Nobody can contain their excitement when talking about another Mobley leap, with Merrill even saying the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has been “insanely good” during voluntary, player-led workouts. Hunter, the February trade deadline prize who will be stepping into the starting lineup, has been labeled the “offseason MVP.” Mitchell, the unquestioned team leader and perennial MVP candidate, is already in “midseason form” — a switch flipping in his head upon hearing about Strus’ injury and a recognition of what could be required from him at the start of the season as a result.
“It’s kind of at a point now where it’s just, it’s just time to go get it,” Mitchell said. “I think for us, not really worried about where we’re seeded, where we’re slated. Got to go out there and handle business. It doesn’t matter if we’re number one, number eight. At the end of the day, we gotta handle our business.
“I think there’s a mental push. I think there’s a want-to, which is what makes what I’m about to say easier. You can’t really have a mental push if you don’t want to be there, [if you don’t] want to grow. Physically, you can be there, but mentally, can we continue to push through that? We’ve run into the same wall three times in a row, so to speak, and mentally you can stop and quit. So, are we? And I’m saying, are we? But I know the answer. Are we willing to every day continue to hit your head against the wall and keep pounding, keep going as we continue to make this push? I think we are. I believe we are.”
Beyond everything else, the conference landscape has shifted, removing a few potential impediments.
Indiana, the speedy conference nuisance that presented unimaginable mental and stylistic challenges, won’t have one of the league’s most impactful players — Tyrese Haliburton — that might lead to a downturn. The Celtics, a yearslong rival that ousted Cleveland in the conference semifinals two years ago en route to an NBA championship, broke up their roster in the aftermath of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear.
Is upstart Detroit ready? Will a frenzied offseason lead to Atlanta’s revival? Can the 76ers stay healthy? Will Desmond Bane — and a few other additions — keep Orlando from having one of the NBA’s worst offenses again? Are the Giannis-led Bucks capable of a bounce-back after getting rid of Damian Lillard and retooling the roster?
Until those questions are answered, it’s essentially a two-team race — Cleveland and New York.
And on the heels of the latest springtime failure, this franchise will enter its most pressure-filled season of the post-LeBron era.
That fate will be tied to the lessons of the past.
“It’s everyone’s goal to go further,” Mobley said. “For us to do that, we gotta learn from what we did last year and build on that. There was a lot of film, a lot of talking on what we need to do or what we could have done different. That’s all happening on the coach’s level, on the player’s level. All the guys have done that and took that upon themselves.
“That’s why I feel like this year is going to be different and we’re going to surpass that.”