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CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs enter Madison Square Garden Wednesday night to tip off their season against the New York Knicks, but the matchup has already lost some of its luster. The Knicks will be missing Mitchell Robinson and Josh Hart – the two players who most embody the physical style that dominated Cleveland in their previous playoff meeting. What should be cause for celebration is instead creating frustration among those watching closely. As Wine and Gold Talk podcast host Ethan Sands and cleveland.com columnist Jimmy Watkins discussed, this undermines the game’s value as a true test for the Cavs’ offseason adjustments. “Well, I mean these are the two biggest torchbearers from the spirit of the series the Cavs lost a couple years ago in the playoffs,” Watkins explained on the podcast. “Mitchell Robinson is the guy who kept pushing the Cavs under the rim and getting offensive rebounds and bullying Jared Allen. And Josh Hart was the guy that reminded the Cavs that hey, this rebounding thing’s a team game.” This isn’t just any regular season game – it’s supposed to be an early indicator of whether Cleveland has addressed the physical limitations that have plagued them in recent playoff appearances. Without Robinson’s rim protection and Hart’s relentless motor, the Cavs won’t get an accurate read on their progress. The situation is complicated further by Cleveland’s own injury issues, with Darius Garland and Max Strus already ruled out. While this might make for a more even playing field, it frustrates the larger purpose of these early-season matchups. “Hurts the Cavs from the fact-finding perspective we were talking about last night, right,” Watkins pointed out. “Like the Cavs are trying to see how they stack up with this team over the course of the next six months, even if it translates to an easier opening night win. It’s going to be another reminder that we have to watch what we’re seeing with a grain of salt.” More Cavs coverage Injury-riddled opener sets the stage for Evan Mobley and the Cavs to start hot again: Wine and Gold Talk podcast Who’s the Browns’ best rookie so far? Why the deck is stacked against the Guardians: Terry’s Talkin’ podcast Recapping the big Browns win, previewing Cavs opener: Tuesday’s Sports 4 CLE This opening night hollowness speaks to a larger trend emerging across the NBA, where load management and injury caution increasingly devalue regular season matchups – even ones as anticipated as this. The Cavs won’t face the Knicks again until Christmas Day, meaning fans must wait months for a true gauge of how these Eastern Conference rivals match up. “These two teams could look very different from opening night of the season to December 25th.” noted Sands. For Cavs fans eager to see if their team has evolved past the bullying tactics that eliminated them from postseason contention, the waiting game continues. An opening night win would be welcome, but the more meaningful questions about Cleveland’s physical and mental toughness against their tormentors will remain unanswered until both squads can face off at full strength. Want to hear more about how the Knicks’ absences affect the Cavs’ season opener strategy? Listen to the full discussion on the Wine and Gold Talk podcast, where Jimmy and Ethan break down all the angles of this depleted but still critical Eastern Conference showdown. Here’s the podcast for this week:
