<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-sam-merrill-hurting-early-exit-vs-pistons');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Sam Merrill ‘hurting’ following early exit vs. Pistons');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cavs-1.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Sam Merrill ‘hurting’ following early exit vs. Pistons</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T21:19:23-07:00">October 27th, 9:19pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T21:19:23-07:00">October 27th, 9:19pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-sam-merrill-planning-to-sign-38-million-contract-with-cleveland"> guard Sam Merrill</a> caught an unfortunate break on Monday night, injuring his right hip <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/cle-vs-det-0022500007" rel="noopener">against the Detroit Pistons</a> in the third quarter. He was hurt on a play in the first half where he came up holding his hip, but continued to play through it until the Cavs made the call to err on the side of caution.</p><p>“He’s hurting,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the team’s 116-95 win. “When Sam can’t come back in the game, it’s [painful]. I think Evan [Mobley] actually hit him in the hip. Somehow they [collided]. Looks like a hip pointer. Those are painful, so we’ll see. But he’s hurting right now.”</p><p>This is ill-timed, given Merrill’s productive first week of the 2025-26 season, so hopefully this hip setback won’t linger long. He <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-kenny-atkinson-adds-mystery-sam-merrill-injury">already dealt with an abductor injury</a> that kept him out of the first three games of the preseason.</p><p>The 29-year-old swingman has gotten off to a hot start this year in multiple facets.</p><p>Firstly, he’s knocked down 18 threes in four games. Moreover, Atkinson is allowing him to play more freely with and without the ball; that includes playmaking, bringing it up the floor, screening, and initiating in certain possessions.</p><p>Defensively, Merrill’s been one of their most reliable pressure guys. He has picked up full-court, firmed up on the block against opponents with more size, and executed box outs on whoever’s trying to get an offensive board.</p><p>“Guy has probably been our best player over the first three games,” Atkinson said on Sunday after Cleveland’s home opener. “Just quite simply, both ends looks great.”</p><p>“He’s probably not right, but we have guys that have a lot more difficult roles,” Merrill responded. “But, obviously, I’m glad that he sees that I’m not just making shots, but trying to make winning plays and defend at a high level.”</p><p>The Cavs will next travel to play the Boston Celtics. Judging by Atkinson’s update, it wouldn’t be surprising if Cleveland were without its current starting shooting guard. The wine and gold just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-deandre-hunter-impresses-kenny-atkinson-teammates-season-debut">got a significant player back in De’Andre Hunter</a>, so at least that’s a positive. Still, this is a buzzkill early on.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Sam Merrill ‘hurting’ following early exit vs. Pistons

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-accept-change-uncomfortable-truth-meet-championship-expectations');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs must accept, change an uncomfortable truth to meet championship expectations');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cavs-must-accept-change-an-uncomfortable-truth-to-meet-championship-expectations.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs must accept, change an uncomfortable truth to meet championship expectations</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T11:56:40-07:00">October 27th, 11:56am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T11:56:40-07:00">October 27th, 11:56am</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Since taking over as head coach, Kenny Atkinson has always been constructive in his criticisms of the Cleveland Cavaliers. This endearing quality has earned him the buy-in of his players, the adoration of the fan base, and the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/kenny-atkinson-declaring-cavs-championship-ready">trust of the organization</a>.</p><p>But Wednesday’s words before the wine and gold’s<a href="https://www.nba.com/game/cle-vs-nyk-0022500003/box-score" rel="noopener"> season opener</a> against the New York Knicks felt different.</p><p>Blunt, direct, and to the point, Atkinson emphasized the sense of urgency the Cavs must have in the season ahead: “The Cavs, I keep saying it, we have a lot to prove. [We’re] 11-15 over the last three years in the playoffs. It’s not one year. It’s two years, it’s three years of this core group, and we kind of know that there’s another level we can get to. The Knicks have gotten to the conference finals. They’ve done it. They’re saying we’re contenders.</p><p>“To me, contenders are when you go to the conference finals or the Finals. Our step is we’ve got to get out of the second round first before we start talking all these expectations and stuff, so that’s where we are with our mentality. We have a lot to prove.”</p><p>Less than a week into the season, Atkinson is making it clear that there will be no beating around the bush, whether behind closed doors or in the public eye. Ironically, a question about <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba">how good the Knicks are when healthy</a> prompted Atkinson’s impassioned response.</p><p>Harsh honesty may be what’s needed for Cleveland to take that leap from great to elite. There is an “elephant in the room” that the Cavs can no longer ignore. Each person in that locker room who’s been around for the last three years — and some longer — is accepting it in order to get past it.</p><p>“Everybody in the locker room knows it’s all on us,” Darius Garland told ClutchPoints on Media Day last month. “It’s on the players.”</p><p>“He came in and put our playoff record up there,” Mitchell added Friday in Brooklyn. “You put that up there because you have a relationship. You’re able to hold guys accountable. You’re able to talk to guys. Not to say he couldn’t at the beginning, but he was doing France [national team coaching] and different things. Now, you know how to speak and what gets us to a point.”</p><p>Atkinson revealed that his pointed record message has been used as bulletin board material from the beginning of training camp. He waited to share that with the media until the season’s first game.</p><p>“We want to change it,” Evan Mobley said Sunday of his reaction when asked by ClutchPoints. “That’s the big thing. So as we’re going through this regular season, we’re really thinking about the playoffs more so than the individual games and just gearing up every single game, getting better, seeing what teams are gonna do in the playoffs and how physical they’re gonna play and stuff like that. So just making those adjustments early on and getting better each game, so by playoff time, we’re ready to change that.”</p><p>“Honestly, you’ve just got to keep moving forward,” added Jarrett Allen, the third-longest tenured player on Cleveland’s roster. “Things happen. If you stop and sulk for too long, you’re gonna get left behind. So at some point, we just have to learn to keep taking the step forward and another step and another step and just become better people… It didn’t end how we wanted to last year. We didn’t make the strides that we were supposed to, and this year, we’ve just got to come back better.”</p><p>Despite being <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-darius-garland-max-strus-positive-injury-updates-provide-hope-media-day">unable to play at this moment</a>, Max Strus has noticed Mobley and the Core Four’s growth and maturity rise since this summer.</p><p>“I think everybody kind of took it personal last year and realizes what’s at hand here, how special this group of players is and this team that we have,” Strus said on Media Day. “You don’t want to waste years.”</p><p>“We just didn’t play up to our expectation, our potential, especially in the second round of the playoffs,” Dean Wade added. “I think that ate a lot at everyone after the season, and I think it motivated everyone in the offseason to wake up.”</p><h2><b>The Cavs can handle the truth</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Kenny-Atkinson_d56f61.jpg"><figcaption>David Richard-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Mitchell feels that a whole offseason and season-long sample size have pushed Atkinson to assess the situation.</p><p>“He understands like, ‘Hey, this is what it is.’ It started there. He was with Craig [Porter Jr.]. He was with Tyrese [Proctor] when he got drafted. Challenging everybody in different ways. And when your head coach is doing that, I respect the hell out of that because it trickles down, and you’re going to see it and continue to evolve. Obviously, when we’re all healthy, we look to continue to build on what we’ve been doing. It starts with us. But having Kenny continue to hold us accountable is big time.”</p><p>Mobley embraces Atkinson’s method of telling it like it is.</p><p>“He’s very transparent,” he said. “He’s up front about what he thinks and stuff like that, so it allows us to be up front with him as well, and he takes our side and we just go back-and-forth on what’s best for us. I think that’s why we had such a successful season last year, so I think that’s what will carry over this year.”</p><p>“I think the players know what it is,” Atkinson added. “I think guys love that transparency. We’ve got a core group that’s been a part of that; it’s three seasons. Now, on the flip side, it takes a while to break through in this league. We know the history of this league and how hard it is to get to that next level, but that’s the reality of it. It’s not like we haven’t done anything; that’s false saying that. Winning 64 games, all that, first seed, that’s doing something. But when it comes to the playoffs, we’ve got a lot to prove. We’ve got to meet that, we’ve got to love that challenge.”</p><p>Whatever Atkinson’s motivation was, it came across loud and clear in the Knicks’ press room last week.</p><p>“We’re open about it, talking about it. That’s the first step,” Atkinson said. “They know what that looks like. From a coaching standpoint, we also have to give them something. Like, what are we changing? How are we tweaking? We’re not gonna change everything. We’re not gonna be ‘the new Cavs.’ We do a lot of things really well.</p><p>“But there are tweaks tactically. So tactical tweaks, physically better conditioning-wise and all that, and then, arrive when it’s money time with our roster and tact and best players healthy.”</p><p>The Cavs didn’t get off to a winning start at Madison Square Garden, falling 119-111 to the New York Knicks. They’ve responded with back-to-back victories, one on the road against the Brooklyn Nets and another in Cleveland’s home opener over the Milwaukee Bucks.</p><p>Atkinson and the locker room would be the first to tell you that the results won’t be the primary focus this season. It’s about the habits they’ll build, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/secret-cavs-championship-step-despite-injury-problems">integrating young players into the rotation</a>, and getting on the same page with one another.</p><p>“Any organization, team that succeeds at a high level has to have a high level of accountability as well, and I think that’s something that we’re growing in,” Sam Merrill said Sunday. “Kenny’s not afraid to get on Don or EV or DG, and Don’s not afraid to get on himself… I think us growing and being willing to say whatever needs to be said is really important. Especially because we have such good guys and people won’t take it personally and whatnot.”</p><p>The Cavs are already being tested with Garland and Max Strus out, which should benefit their preparation in the long run.</p><p>But this time, no matter what happens, there will be no cushion to fall back on if the team falls flat again.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs must accept, change an uncomfortable truth to meet championship expectations

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-lavar-ball-new-cleveland-big-baller-brand-apparel-gifts-lonzo-sneakers');   ga('set', 'title', 'LaVar Ball dons new Cavs Big Baller Brand apparel, gifts Lonzo sneakers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lamar.jpg"><figcaption>Spencer Davies - ClutchPoints</figcaption></figure><h1>LaVar Ball dons new Cavs Big Baller Brand apparel, gifts Lonzo sneakers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-27T04:54:53-07:00">October 27th, 4:54am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-27T04:54:53-07:00">October 27th, 4:54am</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Before the Cleveland Cavaliers’ <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-deandre-hunter-impresses-kenny-atkinson-teammates-season-debut">home-opening win over the Milwaukee Bucks</a>, LaVar Ball was spotted making the rounds at Rocket Arena for the first time since the team traded for his son.</p><p>As Lonzo Ball went through his pregame warmup, LaVar chopped it up with Cavs president Koby Altman and assistant general manager Brandon Weems.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">LaVar Ball in the house talking to Koby Altman as Lonzo warms up. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> <a href="https://t.co/Yg6XfmsLQN">pic.twitter.com/Yg6XfmsLQN</a></p><p>— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1982554305208209564?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Fans began to take pictures and introduce themselves to him before the ball tipped, as he walked around carrying a black bag. When Lonzo finished up his session, LaVar opened the bag to reveal a new pair of Cavs-themed Big Baller Brand shoes and gave them to his son.</p><p>Lonzo was all smiles as he looked at the wine-and-gold kicks that his dad gifted him.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Big Baller Brand In The Land 👟 <a href="https://t.co/wOhvuzekpm">https://t.co/wOhvuzekpm</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ytt5oqb9Gs">pic.twitter.com/Ytt5oqb9Gs</a></p><p>— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1982558570324644017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>LaVar picked a great night to come to town, as the <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/mil-vs-cle-0022500107/box-score" rel="noopener">Cavs defeated the Bucks 118-113</a>. Lonzo looked as good as he has since coming over to Cleveland, recording 11 points, five rebounds, five assists, and a steal.</p><p>Physically, he was moving well and pinballing the ball around as per usual, with the second-most passes on the team (52); the majority of them went to Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. Those feeds created 12 points for Cleveland.</p><p>Lonzo went 4 of 7 from the field as a scorer. He cashed in on two triples from each wing, hit a turnaround fader early, and made one of the biggest plays of the game with a second-chance putback in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Of course, defensively, he was forcing give-ups and making it tough on Milwaukee’s guards. Of the four players he guarded against for over a minute, Lonzo allowed just three shot attempts and one perimeter make.</p><p>Who knows how many Cavs games LaVar will attend, but for this one, he certainly was a good luck charm for Lonzo in his home debut in front of a raucous crowd in Cleveland.</p><p>Oh, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/charlotte-hornets/hornets-news-lamelo-ball-has-perfect-response-favorite-part-11th-triple-double">LaMelo Ball didn’t have a bad Sunday night himself</a> with a 38-point triple-double for the Charlotte Hornets.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

LaVar Ball dons new Cavs Big Baller Brand apparel, gifts Lonzo sneakers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-deandre-hunter-impresses-kenny-atkinson-teammates-season-debut');   ga('set', 'title', 'How De’Andre Hunter impressed Kenny Atkinson, Cavs teammates in season debut');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/DeAndre-Hunter-impresses-Kenny-Atkinson-teammates-in-season-debut.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How De’Andre Hunter impressed Kenny Atkinson, Cavs teammates in season debut</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-26T21:54:05-07:00">October 26th, 9:54pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-26T21:54:05-07:00">October 26th, 9:54pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter made his 2025-26 season debut on Sunday night in the wine-and-gold’s home opener, and immediately, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/clunky-aspect-cavaliers-must-get-fixed-become-nba-title-threats">the Cavs took notice</a>.</p><p>“Just his size,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the 118-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “You see our offense, I don’t know how many he had, but our offensive [rebounds], we were just the more physical team. If he doesn’t play, do you win that game? That’s probably up in the air. He was huge, I thought.”</p><p>To answer Atkinson’s question, Hunter <a href="https://www.nba.com/game/mil-vs-cle-0022500107/box-score" rel="noopener">grabbed four boards</a>, and just one came on offense; that doesn’t indicate his true impact on the glass. Hunter was in the mix whenever a shot went up, putting a body on somebody or leaping to disrupt opposing rebounders. It’s something Cleveland is challenging him to be better at this year.</p><p>Hunter scored 16 points and dished out a couple of assists as well in his 27 minutes of court time. He had his off-the-dribble game working with a couple of mid-range pull-ups from the right elbow and got closer to the basket. Hunter hit a three-ball at the top of the perimeter on a pass from Donovan Mitchell, too, at a crucial time to start the fourth quarter.</p><p>“It was just efficient for him, and then, finding his spots,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, there were certain shots he turned down we wish he didn’t. But the fact that he’s continued to be aggressive, getting on the offensive rebounds, being a pest defensively, being able to switch 1-5 at the end. That’s what he brings to us.”</p><p>“Just another option offensively,” Evan Mobley added. “Defensively, to have a big guy out there like that, especially against Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and the team that we played [Sunday]. So him being out there is definitely a different look.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">A glimpse at De’Andre Hunter’s post-practice workout in New York on Thursday featuring Kenny Atkinson’s stick-hand.</p><p>All of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cavs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cavs</a> coaching staff gave him side and baseline closeouts &amp; made it a fun game.</p><p>Hunter (knee) is questionable for tonight’s home opener vs. the Bucks. <a href="https://t.co/eWc5sI97Ie">pic.twitter.com/eWc5sI97Ie</a></p><p>— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpinDavies/status/1982474568640991492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 26, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Hunter was not afraid to be aggressive with ball pressure, an area the Cavs are aiming to ratchet up even with the early-season foul trouble they’ve encountered.</p><p>It was a solid night at the office for Cleveland’s new everyday starting small forward, who carried over his preseason momentum into his first game of the year. Things <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/deandre-hunter-to-miss-season-opener-vs-knicks-knee-injury">may have gotten delayed by a couple of games</a>, but now Atkinson and Co. have their big wing back.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How De’Andre Hunter impressed Kenny Atkinson, Cavs teammates in season debut

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/jarrett-allen-responds-coach-challenge-assertive-night-vs-nets');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jarrett Allen responds to coach’s challenge with assertive night vs. Nets');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jarrett-Allen-responds-to-coachs-challenge-with-assertive-night-vs.-Nets.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jarrett Allen responds to coach’s challenge with assertive night vs. Nets</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-25T14:42:56-07:00">October 25th, 2:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-25T14:42:56-07:00">October 25th, 2:42pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After a flat-out <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/clunky-aspect-cavaliers-must-get-fixed-become-nba-title-threats">unacceptable performance in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season opener</a>, Jarrett Allen let his game respond for him on Friday in familiar territory at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.</p><p>“I’m used to the lights at the Barclays Center,” Allen joked after the Cavs’ 131-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “I played here for three years. It’s the first place that drafted me. I have a lot of good memories with the staff, the people around the building, and just playing on the court in front of Brooklyn. It’s always special to come back here.”</p><p>Allen feasted in the victory, the Cavs’ first of the 2025-26 campaign. He scored 22 points, nabbed seven rebounds, recorded four assists, got two steals, and blocked a shot.</p><p>Cleveland’s big man told ClutchPoints before the media scrum that he wanted to “have a good showing” from the jump with high intensity and energy. Watching his body language in the opening moments, there was a demand for the ball, and he got those touches that didn’t come on Wednesday.</p><p>“His teammates got the message,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said postgame. “Like, get this dude the ball. Led the league in field goal percentage. We give him the ball, he’s a happier dude, and he plays harder. And I thought he was the real difference maker. He likes coming back here and showing these guys who he is.”</p><p>Allen caught and made <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1628386/passes-dash?DateFrom=10/24/2025&amp;DateTo=10/25/2025&amp;dir=D&amp;sort=PASS">12 passes each in his 28 minutes of action</a> against the New York Knicks, according to NBA.com. In the team’s follow-up contest, Cleveland fed Allen 28 times, while he passed the ball to his guys 22 times. That more than doubled his involvement.</p><p>“Just get into the rhythm of it,” Allen added. “Being able to share the ball with my teammates, pass to Craig [Porter Jr.] and Sam [Merrill] on the perimeter, and just try to get a feel for the game. I mean, we’re all basketball players. Everybody wants to touch the ball at the end of the day. Everybody wants to be the hero of the game. And it helps everybody on the defensive end. When you’re scoring, everybody runs back. It helps the defense get set and helps us be more aggressive.”</p><p>Donovan Mitchell felt Allen’s dominance was the reason Cleveland held a lead for as long as it did throughout the game.</p><p>“I think we give J.A. a hard time, and we laugh and joke, but he’s consistent,” Mitchell said. “One thing I know about J.A., if he doesn’t have a night before, he’s going to come back and respond. He didn’t need us to say anything. He was going to do it himself. But as much as he didn’t have a good game, we didn’t put him in spots.</p><p>“That starts with me. I said it to [Cavs sideline reporter] Serena [Winters], in order for any big to get going, you’ve got to get him involved. If we don’t do that, then… I’m not saying it’s okay for him to not necessarily be as active, but that’s just how it works with all bigs. I’ve got to recognize that.”</p><p>Merrill acknowledged Atkinson’s plea to feed the big man. He said Allen played great and in a way Cleveland is used to, expecting to see more nights like that.</p><p>“I tell him, he’s capable of just completely taking over a game,” Merrill said. “It’s different than like Donovan or DG [Darius Garland] or whatever, but he’s completely capable of that, and he did that [Friday]. We know what J.A. is, but we’ve got to find a way to keep him involved. The other night, we just didn’t find him. So we’ve got to continue to find a way because he can dominate a game without having the ball, whether it’s on the defensive end or the boards or whatever. But we’ve got to reward him for that.</p><p>“Pick and roll,” Allen added. “That’s what I’m predicated on. That’s what I came into this league doing, and what I’ll probably go out of this league doing.”</p><h2><b>Jarrett Allen takes it to the cup with authority</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jarrett-Allen-drops-the-hammer-on-Nets-with-impressive-dunk.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-drops-hammer-nets-impressive-dunk">defining moment of Allen’s night</a> was a straight, beeline drive from the top of the perimeter all the way to the rim that he capped with a leaping finish over seemingly every Brooklyn body in his way.</p><p>“He gave me a step, and I know my quickness is pretty fast compared to a lot of bigs in this league, and I just took advantage of it,” Allen said.</p><p>“I was at half court. I was ready to come off a Zoom action or something,” Mitchell recalled. “He just took it himself. He went up there, and it’s like he went and then went up again. He got propelled up there. He does things sometimes, and I’m just like… I don’t know how. I don’t know how he does it. But that was incredible.”</p><p>Merrill called the moment “insane,” surmising that Allen wanted to “send a message.”</p><p>Allen wrestled with Nic Claxton all evening long, a well-known foe he’s matched up against multiple times. It wasn’t even a fair fight. He moved him out of the paint on box outs and sealed him away to give Cleveland drivers space to attack. Allen spent a game-high 6:05 guarding Claxton, who had only one bucket on four attempts in that duel. Conversely, Allen scored twice on both Claxton and Day’Ron Sharpe.</p><p>In the second half, Allen began using his passing chops from the high post to find Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and perimeter shooters primed for the next move beyond the arc.</p><p>“We have two bigs, Evan [Mobley] and I, that are able to crash the glass, bring gravity to the rim,” Allen said. “And we have great shooters like Sam and Craig [Porter Jr.] on the outside to be able to knock down shots.”</p><p>When things faltered, with less than two minutes to go in regulation, Allen came up with a huge offensive board, chased down a loose ball, and drew a foul as he crashed into Atkinson. It’d be the most important of his seven rebounds.</p><p>“I would say it’s a little bit of just a hustle thing,” Allen said. “It’s the beginning of the season. Everybody’s crashing. Teams are being more aggressive as well at this time, and that’s just where the league is. Five guys are crashing. There’s a lot more threes in this league, so a lot of balls are going to be long [off the rim on misses]. It’s just a mix of everything.”</p><p>Allen rewarded his own work with two clutch free throws to make it a six-point game, and then, Cleveland was able to close things out.</p><p>That was the version of Allen that the Cavs can depend on. With the proof in the pudding, he and his teammates must work together consistently. It can’t just be a one-off.</p><p>“My challenge to him is, ‘Hey, there may be games where they take you out of it, but you still got to find a way to be effective,” Mitchell said. “So it’s a give and take, but it starts with me being able to get him going, and he held himself accountable and said, ‘Hey, got to be more assertive.’ And he was.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jarrett Allen responds to coach’s challenge with assertive night vs. Nets

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-fan-rushes-court-donovan-mitchell');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ fan rushes court and runs up on Donovan Mitchell in Brooklyn');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Donovan-Mitchell_85fc4d.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ fan rushes court and runs up on Donovan Mitchell in Brooklyn</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-25T07:06:17-07:00">October 25th, 7:06am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-25T07:06:17-07:00">October 25th, 7:06am</time><address><a>Rohan Brahmbhatt</a>Rohan Brahmbhatt is an adventure-driven sports writer, passionate footballer, mountaineer, and photojournalist. Rohan blends firsthand experience with storytelling—capturing the intensity of sport and the thrill of exploration. Whether on the field, a mountain trail, or behind the lens, he brings authentic, high-energy narratives that connect readers to the heart of the action.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>A bizarre moment unfolded at Barclays Center on Wednesday night as a fan stormed the court during the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 131-124 win over the Brooklyn Nets, running <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reacts-to-crazed-fan-storming-court-in-brooklyn">straight toward Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell</a>. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter, play was abruptly stopped when the fan <a href="https://x.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1981902534307635501" rel="noopener">sprinted onto the floor</a>, phone in hand, and approached Mitchell as if attempting to record or take a selfie.</p><p>Mitchell, visibly startled, immediately backed away while referees blew their whistles to halt the action.</p><p>Security quickly tackled and removed the fan from the court as both teams watched in disbelief. Players from both sides appeared shaken but maintained their composure while the situation was resolved. After a brief delay, the game resumed, and Cleveland managed to close out the contest despite a furious late rally from Brooklyn.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This fan rushed the court and ran up to Donovan Mitchell. 😳</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/HoodiGarland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoodiGarland</a>)</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/qR4cmFWR0D">pic.twitter.com/qR4cmFWR0D</a></p><p>— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1981902534307635501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Mitchell, who led the Cavaliers with 35 points, helped secure the victory even as the incident briefly disrupted the team’s momentum. “It was just a weird moment,” a Cavaliers staffer reportedly said postgame. “You don’t expect someone to just run up on a player like that; it could have been dangerous.”</p><p>The NBA is expected to review the situation, as the league enforces strict fan conduct policies that prohibit entering the court under any circumstances. Offenders typically face lifetime arena bans, potential criminal trespassing charges, and other penalties depending on local laws.</p><p>Despite the chaos, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/clunky-aspect-cavaliers-must-get-fixed-become-nba-title-threats">Cavaliers maintained their focus</a> to improve their early-season record. Brooklyn, led by Cam Thomas and Michael Porter Jr., who both scored over 30 points, nearly erased Cleveland’s double-digit lead in the final quarter, but Mitchell’s clutch play ensured the Cavs held on.</p><p>The incident serves as yet another reminder of the NBA’s ongoing efforts to protect players and maintain boundaries between fans and athletes in an increasingly social media-driven era.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ fan rushes court and runs up on Donovan Mitchell in Brooklyn

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-donovan-mitchell-reacts-to-crazed-fan-storming-court-in-brooklyn');   ga('set', 'title', 'Donovan Mitchell’s wild reaction to court-storming fan: ‘He’s probably got a great selfie’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Donovan-Mitchell_bce4c7.jpg"><figcaption>Oct 22, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) reacts during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Donovan Mitchell’s wild reaction to court-storming fan: ‘He’s probably got a great selfie’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T21:39:49-07:00">October 24th, 9:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T21:41:37-07:00">October 24th, 9:41pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>At the 5:02 mark in the fourth quarter at Barclays Center, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavaliers-news-donovan-mitchell-path-lebron-james-level-starts-reaching-nba-finals">Cavs star Donovan Mitchell</a> went from angry to <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/nba/comments/1ofgo94/a_fan_sprints_onto_the_court_and_rushes_to/" rel="noopener">taken aback in a hurry</a>.</p><p>Before the Cavaliers could inbound the ball as they hemorrhaged a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-egor-demin-delivers-several-clutch-moments-vs-cavs">double-digit lead to Egor Demin and the surging Brooklyn Nets</a>, a fan in a purple hoodie sprinted onto the floor and darted directly toward the NBA All-Star guard.</p><p>Mitchell took a step back, confused, as the person aggressively took a photo on his phone before being ragdolled off the court by four security members.</p><p>“Oh s***,” Mitchell said postgame of his initial reaction. “I took a few steps back and then I repositioned my feet, and I was ready to handle whatever was necessary. The kid wanted a selfie. I know he’s probably doing some jail time, but when he gets out, he’s probably got a great selfie. Sorry, I don’t think that’s a joke.”</p><p>It was a scary moment that didn’t exactly fit the bill of the attention that should be drawn, like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-drops-hammer-nets-impressive-dunk">Allen dunking on every Nets player</a> in his way.</p><p>“At first, I was confused, and I saw him running towards Don and took a step towards him,” Jarrett Allen added from his vantage point. “But we have great security in the Barclays Center. Shout out to them. They took care of it. When he left the court, his feet didn’t touch the ground. They carried him out of the building.”</p><p>Heated about the Cavs allowing the Nets to chop a 20-point lead down to a single possession, Mitchell didn’t let the odd moment affect him.</p><p>“I can’t say it did, to be honest,” Mitchell said. “I was pretty pissed off we blew the lead. It was just like, ‘Alright, it happened,’ and move on. My mind was there, and then I saw somebody running, so I didn’t really have time to process it all. Glad they handled it. Security handled it.”</p><p>Atkinson said he didn’t see what happened: “I was kind of like, strange. You never see that in an NBA game. I think you see it in European soccer, right? When a fan runs out there… bizarre. Bizarre.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">This fan rushed the court and ran up to Donovan Mitchell. 😳</p><p>(h/t <a href="https://twitter.com/HoodiGarland?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HoodiGarland</a>)</p><p> <a href="https://t.co/qR4cmFWR0D">pic.twitter.com/qR4cmFWR0D</a></p><p>— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHoopCentral/status/1981902534307635501?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Donovan Mitchell’s wild reaction to court-storming fan: ‘He’s probably got a great selfie’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-jarrett-allen-drops-hammer-nets-impressive-dunk');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs’ Jarrett Allen drops the hammer on Nets with impressive dunk');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jarrett-Allen-drops-the-hammer-on-Nets-with-impressive-dunk.jpg"><figcaption>John Jones-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Cavs’ Jarrett Allen drops the hammer on Nets with impressive dunk</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T17:55:13-07:00">October 24th, 5:55pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T17:55:13-07:00">October 24th, 5:55pm</time><address><a>Richard Pereira</a>Richard Pereira joined ClutchPoints in January 2025 as an Associate Editor. He earned his degree from Florida Atlantic University in 2023 and has been covering the school's athletic programs since 2020, having served as a Sports Editor at the FAU University Press. He was granted the unique opportunity to report on the men's basketball team's journey to the Final Four in Houston for FAU Owls Nest during March Madness, consistently striving to grow as a sports journalist.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Jarrett Allen pulled off a solid dunk highlight during the Cleveland <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-bold-predictions-for-2025-26-nba-season">Cavaliers’ regular-season matchup against the Brooklyn Nets</a> on Friday night.</p><p>Going into the contest, the Cavaliers lost their season-opener on the road to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. As a team with championship aspirations, they need their first win to be on the right track and start creating momentum.</p><p>Allen was ready for the task as <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981876411955859574" rel="noopener">he dunked the ball</a> with less than four minutes remaining in the first quarter. He was on the perimeter with the ball as he drove his way into the paint, then soared in the air to complete the one-handed slam.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="sv">JARRETT ALLEN DROPS THE HAMMER 🔨💥</p><p><a href="https://t.co/NbXnj3H6RT">pic.twitter.com/NbXnj3H6RT</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1981876411955859574?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 25, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>How Jarrett Allen, Cavaliers played against Nets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jarrett-Allen-drops-the-hammer-on-Nets-with-impressive-dunk-2.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It was a great dunking highlight for Jarrett Allen to add to his collection, having a solid display as the Cavaliers lead 63-51 against the Nets.</p><p>Cleveland landed a solid punch to start the game. They outscored Brooklyn 34-23 in the opening 12 minutes of play, making plenty of shots to build the lead. The visitors kept controlling the momentum even as the hosts slowly recovered in the second quarter.</p><p>Rebounding and turnovers have played roles in the matchup so far. The Cavaliers have the upper hand in both categories, securing 21 rebounds while limiting their turnovers to eight. The Nets have been inconsistent in these areas, grabbing 16 rebounds while committing 11 turnovers.</p><p>Three players have scored in double-digits throughout the first 24 minutes, including Allen. He has 13 points, three rebounds and a block on 5-of-6 shooting from the field. Donovan Mitchell leads the way with 14 points and four assists, Evan Mobley has 11 points and four rebounds, while Sam Merrill put up nine points and four assists.</p><p>After this matchup, the Cavaliers will prepare for their next contest. They will be at home, hosting the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 26 at 6 p.m. ET.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cavs’ Jarrett Allen drops the hammer on Nets with impressive dunk

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/clunky-aspect-cavaliers-must-get-fixed-become-nba-title-threats');   ga('set', 'title', 'The ‘clunky’ aspect of the Cavs that must get fixed to become NBA title threats');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/The-clunky-aspect-of-the-Cavs-that-must-get-fixed-to-become-title-threats.jpg"><figcaption> Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>The ‘clunky’ aspect of the Cavs that must get fixed to become NBA title threats</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-24T13:17:06-07:00">October 24th, 1:17pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-24T13:26:11-07:00">October 24th, 1:26pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After an <a href="https://youtu.be/xvFvK9yVQ60?si=7UTw_nmlloGsEQP0" rel="noopener">informative film session</a> on Thursday afternoon, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson felt better about his team’s season opener. Sitting down with ClutchPoints and two other reporters inside the Baruch College gymnasium, Atkinson delivered a complete diagnosis of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-news-mike-brown-take-win-cavs-scare-nba">Cavs’ 119-111 loss to the New York Knicks.</a></p><p>“I’m actually more positive after watching it. We were right in the game. We’re right there, and we didn’t play great.”</p><p>“I do think the clunkiness I’m talking about on offense is definitely due to new lineups playing together. There was just a couple of missed reads. The one that really sticks is Lonzo [Ball] throwing it to Dean [Wade]. Dean’s not even looking at him. You’re playing with Lonzo Ball, so keep your eyes up. Maybe if you’re playing with CP [Craig Porter Jr.], it’s different. Just starting to understand each other. So that definitely stood out. Free throws were obviously a big problem. Don [Mitchell] having a 37% usage rate is too much. And he’s an unselfish guy, we all know that, but we’ve got to help him a little more.”</p><p>Having 21 assists to 15 turnovers isn’t the best showing as a team, nor is corralling only four total offensive rebounds. However, Mitchell is not concerned about this being a work in progress. He is calm and confident that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/secret-cavs-championship-step-despite-injury-problems">everybody will figure it out</a>.</p><p>“You’re throwing different rotations in, you’ve got young guys, you’ve got older guys,” Mitchell said postgame on Wednesday. “Just different things, and that just comes with it. That’s why I’m not really hanging our head on this loss. Hey, we’ve got a lot to work on, a lot to build on. But like I said, with that being said, we’re tied going into the fourth.</p><p>“It’s early in the season. Playing with a lot of different players as well,” Evan Mobley added. “Some guys are out, it’s a different flow. Everyone’s still learning each other. I feel like in the first half it was so-so, and then as the game went on, it got better and better. I mean, it’s definitely different-looking out there, and seeing different guys, you’ve got to know their tendencies. Also, it’s a lot of younger guys as well, so I think they did a great job coming in here and fighting and doing their job and their part, and we’ve just got to make it come all together.”</p><p>Ball noticed a lot of stagnancy in his first game with the wine and gold, but knows the movement will come with time.</p><p>“We have a lot of screening things we want to get to, and guys are just kind of looking to see who’s gonna go set the screen rather than just running into it,” he said. “It’s a brand new team, pretty much. Like Kenny said, we had five new guys in the rotation last night.”</p><p>“You work on your things in training camp and you’re repping it out and it looks great against yourself,” Sam Merrill added that night. “I think there was some moments in the first half where we maybe got away from what we were trying to do, from what we’ve been working on for the last few weeks. Whether it’s making the play that we think we need to or just overall pace of what we’re trying to get into. [We] did a lot better job of that in the second half. That’s why we played a lot better.”</p><p>Though a 46.5% field-goal percentage and 41.3% clip look respectable on paper, Atkinson had some damning evidence to support his claims about the offensive shortcomings.</p><p>“Our shot quality was poor,” he said. “Everybody’s gonna say, ‘Oh, it was Don or Evan, they took a lot of mid-range.’ You can say that, but it’s a collective. We’ve really got to work collectively to get good shots. In the NBA, all the pieces have to move together. We got caught in way too many… it’s the most isolations we’ve played in two years. Our shot quality was in the eighth percentile. So we addressed that.”</p><p>“Just try to get easier baskets,” Ball added. “I feel like there was some opportunities where we could’ve got away from the play and just kind of took it ourselves, especially in transition that we didn’t necessarily get to. But like I said, it’s the first game. We’re still learning each other out. It’s going to take some time, but hopefully it gets done faster.”</p><p>Atkinson’s final bullet point on the offensive analysis was squarely on Jarrett Allen’s lack of involvement.</p><p>“He’s a great pick-and-roll player. I told the guys this: best field goal percentage in the league. He’s our rim thrust. We didn’t throw him the ball. When we do throw it to him in the pocket, it’s like insane. It’s like 1.39 [points per possession]. It’s like when you stop giving your fullback the ball in the run game, he’s gonna stop blocking for you.</p><p>“That wasn’t the Jarrett Allen we all know. It was more us not seeking him out. But conversely, you can’t just get four rebounds. So I was real blunt with him. J.A. can’t be like, okay, I’m not gonna rebound.”</p><p>Allen had a ghastly night, scoring only four points on four shot attempts and grabbing just four boards in 28 minutes of action. Admittedly, not having Max Strus and Darius Garland makes it tougher because those are his primary passers. Still, Atkinson thinks they have to stop taking Allen for granted.</p><p>“If we’re not piercing that defense with his thrust to the rim… what did we have, eight rim attempts? Like, holy s*** guys,” he said. “I love that we got a lot of threes up, but we’ve got to the rim. Give the Knicks credit; they did a good job of keeping us at bay.”</p><h2><b>Cavaliers must remember that Rome wasn’t built in one day</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Jalen-Brunson_c99954.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Cavs weren’t too displeased with their defensive effort despite allowing 65 points to the Knicks in the first half. Between <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-how-did-jaylon-tyson-fare-second-year-debut-start-knicks">utilizing Jaylon Tyson</a> and multiple looks on Jalen Brunson, and holding Karl-Anthony Towns in check, Cleveland fended off New York’s two biggest scoring threats.</p><p>“We did a lot of good things,” Atkinson said. “The fouling is the fouling. The stats are the stats. The ones that always bother you are kind of the [lack of] focus [ones]. We fouled four three-point shooters. Right off the bat, that was a little bit of a lack of focus. But I didn’t get any like, ‘Oh, we didn’t compete hard.’ None of that stuff. I think it was more focus.”</p><p>The Cavs are optimistic that the communication will improve with time.</p><p>“I think every group is different,” he said. “Obviously, we have two of the best defensive bigs in the league, so that helps a lot to clean up stuff. But I think we could do a lot better on the ball, the guards for sure, and just get better on communication. Those are probably the two biggest things that stood out to me last night. Hopefully, it doesn’t take too long, but obviously, there’s going to be an adjustment period. How long that period is, I can’t necessarily say.”</p><p>“It’s communication on the defensive end,” Merrill added. “I think offensively, it’s guys trying to figure out roles. “Like, ‘If I’m on the floor with these guys, I’m doing one thing. Maybe with another group, it’s another.’ So that’ll take a little time. But we’ve got smart guys and competitive guys, so they’ll figure it out.”</p><p>Mitchell loves to see the Cavs being put to the test right away, particularly the new, inexperienced members of the team.</p><p>It will serve them well not only in the short term but also in the long run.</p><p>“There were a lot of things they did well, and there’s some things that we can work on, whether it’s holding a screen or slipping a screen, coming up or not coming up, spacing the right, pulling behind, taking a shot or not taking a shot. Those are all things you learn. You can do it in practice, and that’s fine, but when you get in these moments, what better way to start against a team that we’re gonna see and is projected to be up there with us at the top of the East, right? So this is a perfect scenario for us to kind of throw them in the fire, and also put ourselves in a situation where we’ve got to communicate.</p><p>“It’s not just on them to figure it out themselves. It’s on myself and Ev especially to kinda lead that. I think, for us, we did a great job responding in the third quarter, even the whole second half. Ebbs and flows is gonna be a big part of the year, and I think this was great. I’m really happy with the way, especially our young guys came out and showed their mental fortitude throughout the game.”</p><p>Mobley was also encouraged. The end result didn’t go their way that night, but in the infancy of the season, that is just fine.</p><p>“We’re in a good spot and we are going to be a good team,” he said. “That’s what I think. Definitely early. Learning each other more and more. But all the pieces that we do have and that are out and also that are on the floor, I feel like it was a good job.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

The ‘clunky’ aspect of the Cavs that must get fixed to become NBA title threats

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-how-did-jaylon-tyson-fare-second-year-debut-start-knicks');   ga('set', 'title', 'How did Jaylon Tyson fare in second-year Cavs debut start vs. Knicks?');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cleveland-Cavaliers-guard-Jaylon-Tyson-20-knocks-the-ball-away-from-New-York-Knicks-guard-Jalen-Brunson-11.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>How did Jaylon Tyson fare in second-year Cavs debut start vs. Knicks?</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T19:18:28-07:00">October 23rd, 7:18pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T19:18:28-07:00">October 23rd, 7:18pm</time><address><a href="https://spindavies.myportfolio.com/home">Spencer Davies</a>Spencer Davies has covered the NBA and the Cleveland Cavaliers as a credentialed reporter for over a decade. His work has appeared on Basketball News, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher Report, USA Today, FOX Sports, HoopsHype, CloseUp360, FanSided, and Basketball Insiders, among others. In addition to his journalistic experience, he has been a senior editor, a digital production assistant, a social media manager, a sports radio anchor, and a producer.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Two hours before Jaylon Tyson’s <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/secret-cavs-championship-step-despite-injury-problems">first start of the 2025-26 NBA season</a>, the Cleveland Cavaliers picked up the third-year team option on his contract.</p><p>In his second-year debut, Tyson scored five points, grabbed two rebounds, dished out an assist, and committed two turnovers across 20 minutes of action. Jalen Brunson was his primary assignment, picking the New York Knicks star up full court and challenging him. According to NBA.com’s matchup data, Brunson went 1 of 3 from the field, missing both of his three-point attempts and drawing two fouls with Tyson <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/player/1642281/head-to-head" rel="noopener">as his defender</a>.</p><p>Despite the four fouls committed and the limited time because of them, the Cavs were pleased with how Tyson stepped up.</p><p>“I was really happy with the way he was guarding,” Donovan Mitchell said after the Cavs’ 119-11 loss in New York. “Really, his first real start in a high-intensity situation like this, and you see how he’s playing.”</p><p>Watching the film back, the day following, his teammates doubled down on that praise.</p><p>“Obviously, Jalen is one of the best guards we have in the league, so he’s not gonna have too many tougher assignments than that,” Lonzo Ball said after Thursday’s practice. “But I think he came in with the right mindset, the right energy. He just got called for some ticky-tack fouls early, and he can’t let that affect him. But I’ve got a lot of confidence in him moving forward for sure.”</p><p>“I feel like he did great,” Tyrese Proctor added. “I mean, that’s one hell of a guy to guard, especially opening night in the Garden. Obviously, Brunson’s a great player. I thought JT did the job he needed. He’s so quick and low to the ground, it’s obviously going to bump you off balance here and there, but I think for the most part, he did a really good job.”</p><p>Defense is where <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-training-camp-notes-jaylon-tyson-rotational-leap-coming">Tyson wants to make his mark first and foremost</a>. Aiming to bring the energy, speed up the opposing team’s best players, and make his assignments as uncomfortable as possible, he used the term “pest.”</p><p>“[Be] that player that you don’t want to play against,” Tyson said the day before the game. “Physicality, kinda similar to what Indiana did to us last year. Being something like that. Just get ’em out of rhythm.”</p><p>Despite the end result of the game, Tyson delivered on that promise. He’ll continue to get the chances to keep doing so, too.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

How did Jaylon Tyson fare in second-year Cavs debut start vs. Knicks?

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-drake-powell-ruled-out-home-opener');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nets’ Drake Powell ruled out for home opener with ankle injury');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Drake-Powell-1.jpg"><figcaption>Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nets’ Drake Powell ruled out for home opener with ankle injury</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-23T18:20:45-07:00">October 23rd, 6:20pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-23T18:24:18-07:00">October 23rd, 6:24pm</time><address><a>Erik Slater</a>Erik Slater is the credentialed Brooklyn Nets beat reporter for ClutchPoints. He's a graduate of Lehigh University and the Newhouse School of Communications at Syracuse University, as well as a Lehigh Football and Syracuse Football alum.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Brooklyn Nets</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Brooklyn Nets rookie <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-jordi-fernandez-delivers-disheartening-message">Drake Powell made his NBA debut</a> in his home state on Wednesday. The former North Carolina wing played seven minutes during a 136-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, posting two points and two rebounds while converting his only shot attempt. While Powell continued to show promise, he sprained his ankle in the fourth quarter.</p><p>Powell remained in the game initially but was unable to continue playing. The 19-year-old intentionally fouled before limping to Brooklyn’s bench. While the severity of the injury is unclear, the Nets ruled Powell out for Friday’s home opener vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers.</p><h2>Drake Powell sidelined by ankle sprain following Nets debut</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Drake-Powell.jpg"><figcaption>Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Powell missed the majority of the offseason due to left knee tendinopathy. He was the only Nets rookie who did not play at Summer League. However, he returned during Brooklyn’s pair of preseason matchups with the Phoenix Suns in Macao.</p><p>The 6-foot-6 wing made an immediate impact against Phoenix, averaging 6.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists on 4-of-10 shooting from the field and 3-of-6 from three in 14.5 minutes per game.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-michael-porter-jr-praises-freak-rookie">Powell was among the nation’s top defenders</a> during his lone college season. He was widely regarded as the top athlete in this year’s draft class, <a href="https://www.nba.com/stats/draft/combine-strength-agility?dir=D&amp;sort=MAX_VERTICAL_LEAP" rel="noopener">recording a 43-inch max vertical leap</a>, the highest at this year’s combine and the 14th-highest in combine history.</p><p>Brooklyn will be looking to improve its defense after a putrid showing on Wednesday. The Nets allowed the Hornets to shoot 48-of-90 (53 percent) from the field and 17-of-36 (47 percent) from three. They were outscored 18-0 in fastbreak points during the first half and 23-5 for the game.</p><p>Rookie big man <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/brooklyn-nets/nets-news-danny-wolf-misses-season-opener">Danny Wolf missed Brooklyn’s season opener</a> after injuring his ankle during a shootaround on Wednesday. The Nets ruled Wolf out for Friday’s Cavs matchup.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nets’ Drake Powell ruled out for home opener with ankle injury

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-bold-predictions-for-2025-26-nba-season');   ga('set', 'title', 'Cavs bold predictions for 2025-26 NBA season');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/X-Cavs-bold-predictions-for-2025-26-NBA-season.jpg"></figure><h1>Cavs bold predictions for 2025-26 NBA season</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-10-22T22:24:51-07:00">October 22nd, 10:24pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-10-22T22:24:51-07:00">October 22nd, 10:24pm</time><address><a href="https://letterboxd.com/splooshpuhrty/films/by/your-rating/">Jedd Pagaduan</a>Jedd Pagaduan is a certified Clippers and Gunners fan, which means he's a very sports-traumatized individual. He now writes about sports instead as a form of therapy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-player-shock-world-breakout-2025-26-season">Cleveland Cavaliers should only have one thing</a> on their collective mind heading into the 2025-26 campaign — revenge. They were so good for the entirety of last year’s regular season, and yet they couldn’t get past the second round. In fact, they won exactly the same number of playoff games in 2025 as they did in 2024, and that simply won’t do for a team with grand ambitions of winning a title.</p><p>Time is ticking on the Cavs; while their players aren’t old (the eldest member of their core four is Donovan Mitchell, and he’s only 29 years of age), their huge luxury tax bill as they dip into the second apron means that they have to win and win big now. As <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/boston-celtics/celtics-news-real-reason-boston-traded-georges-niang-jazz">the Boston Celtics showed</a>, staying in the second apron incurs so many financial penalties that they decided to overhaul the roster this offseason amid Jayson Tatum’s injury just to reset their tax timer.</p><p>Be that as it may, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cleveland-cavaliers-2025-26-season-predictions-nba-schedule-release">Cavs can definitely contend</a> for a title for this upcoming season, no doubt about it. They brought back most of the players from their 64-win team, and they brought in Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr., among others, to replenish the depth they lost when Ty Jerome decided to bolt for greener pastures in free agency. De’Andre Hunter will also be around for the entire season, and he was excellent with the Cavs during his first few months with the team.</p><p>With that said, here are a few bold predictions for the Cavs for the 2025-26 campaign.</p><p><i><b>*Watch NBA games LIVE with fuboTV <a href="https://www.fubo.tv/lp/nba/?irad=356361&amp;irmp=492408" rel="noopener sponsored">(free trial)</a>*</b></i></p><h2><b>Donovan Mitchell averages 30 points per game</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Cavs-Donovan-Mitchell-3.jpg"><figcaption>Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>To start the year, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-darius-garland-takes-next-major-step-toe-injury-recovery">Cavs will be without Darius Garland</a>, with the All-Star point guard still on the mend after undergoing surgery on his toe this past summer. Now, the most likely course of action for the Cavs is to be cautious with Garland. After all, Garland was far from 100 percent during their nightmare of a second-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers, with Indiana sensing blood every time Garland was on the floor.</p><p>It’s not quite clear who will be starting alongside Mitchell to start the year. The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavaliers-news-donovan-mitchell-details-lonzo-balls-impact-off-bench">Cavs could roll with Lonzo Ball</a>, although it’s unlikely that he is thrown into the fire this early in the year considering his injury history. Sam Merrill appears to be the favorite to start in the backcourt alongside Mitchell, but Merrill is not a ballhandler; he is someone who hounds opposing ballhandlers and specializes in moving off the ball and shooting threes off the catch and on the move on offense.</p><p>This means that Mitchell might be in for some of the biggest ballhandling responsibilities of his career. With the Utah Jazz, he always lined up alongside Ricky Rubio or Mike Conley. In Cleveland, Garland has almost always been by his side. Mitchell is not a point guard, but considering the Cavs’ likely starting lineup to begin the year, he will have the ball in his hands a lot — leading to plenty of scoring opportunities for the 29-year-old.</p><p>In 33 games with the Cavs without Garland, Mitchell <a href="https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/donovan-mitchell-stats-as-cavs-player-without-darius-garland" rel="noopener">averaged</a> 29.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists on 49/38/83 shooting splits. Thus, it’s not too big of a stretch to think that Mitchell could average around 30 points per game, especially when Garland is out.</p><p>When Garland returns, Mitchell’s usage will decrease. But even then, one would think that the Cavs will be bringing Garland along slowly. Cleveland has already learned that the regular season is a marathon, not a sprint, and they would much rather be healthy come postseason time.</p><p>Assuming that Garland misses plenty of time, Mitchell might be in for the biggest scoring season of his career. Don’t rule out a 30-ppg season from the six-time NBA All-Star and 2025 All-NBA First Team member.</p><h2><b>Lonzo Ball plays in 65+ games for the Cavs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Lonzo-Ball-talks-to-Chicago-Bulls-Head-Coach-Billy-Donovan-during-the-first-half-at-Rocket-Arena.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Ball made a triumphant return to the hardwood last year after he missed two and a half seasons due to knee complications. While Ball did end up playing just 35 games last year, it was clear in the games he played that he remains a player with some strong winning DNA.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-training-camp-bonding-img-academy-lonzo-ball-impact">Cavs identified Ball as someone</a> who could help with their title push, giving up former lottery pick Isaac Okoro to the Chicago Bulls just to acquire his services. Considering the Cavs’ need for a defensive stopper in the backcourt, Ball is an ideal addition, with the caveat being that his health remains a huge question mark.</p><p>The reality may be that Ball is never 100 percent healthy again and he needs to be managed more closely considering his injury history, similar to, say, Kawhi Leonard. But Ball is only 27 years of age, and with the proper handling of his workload, he could end up having the healthiest season of his career as he distances himself even more from the multiple knee surgeries he had in the past.</p><p>Now, playing in 65 games feels like <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-rumors-sneaky-rule-tweaked-cavs-bulls-lonzo-ball-isaac-okoro-trade">a stretch for Ball</a>. But this is not a bold prediction for nothing. He has never played more than 65 games in a single season; his single-season best is 63 games, all the way back in the 2019-20 season. But perhaps playing for a legitimate title-contender is what Ball needs to get through a season unscathed.</p><h2><b>Jarrett Allen finishes higher in DPOY voting than Evan Mobley</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/center-Jarrett-Allen-31-and-forward-Evan-Mobley-4.jpg"><figcaption>Ken Blaze-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Mobley is the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and he might not be done challenging for the award. Alas, Victor Wembanyama’s time appears to be coming, and the best most DPOY candidates could do is to fight for second place.</p><p>Out of all three bold predictions in this piece, this seems to be the most outlandish. Mobley is far and away the better defender, as he’s more mobile on the perimeter and he’s straight up a better rim-protector. But perhaps Mobley is simply cannibalizing some of <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-how-jarrett-allen-fits-core-four-pecking-order">Allen’s defensive impact,</a> which seems to have waned over the years.</p><p>Allen, in fact, was being challenged constantly by the Pacers in last year’s playoffs, and head coach Kenny Atkinson had to bench him for some stretches. At some point, he simply might be the finished product he is. But Allen is only 27 years of age, right in the prime of his career, and he’s been the subject of plenty of criticism over the years. For the Cavs’ sake, he better step up and reach his apex on the defensive end.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Cleveland
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Cavaliers News: Get the latest Cleveland Cavaliers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

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ClevelandCavaliers NEWS

Cavaliers News: Get the latest Cleveland Cavaliers news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Cavaliers News

Cavs’ Sam Merrill ‘hurting’ following early exit vs. Pistons

Cavs must accept, change an uncomfortable truth to meet championship expectations

LaVar Ball dons new Cavs Big Baller Brand apparel, gifts Lonzo sneakers

How De’Andre Hunter impressed Kenny Atkinson, Cavs teammates in season debut

Jarrett Allen responds to coach’s challenge with assertive night vs. Nets

Cavs’ fan rushes court and runs up on Donovan Mitchell in Brooklyn

Donovan Mitchell’s wild reaction to court-storming fan: ‘He’s probably got a great selfie’

• Cavs’ Jarrett Allen drops the hammer on Nets with impressive dunk

• The ‘clunky’ aspect of the Cavs that must get fixed to become NBA title threats

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• Nets’ Drake Powell ruled out for home opener with ankle injury

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