Just a year ago, the Cleveland Cavaliers were the team to beat in the East. They finished No. 1 in the conference and, despite a disappointing postseason run, were expected to come back with vengeance and pick up right where they left off. Instead, they are now flirting with a play-in date.
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The 2025-26 season could have been the year the Cavaliers dominated, especially with the East blown wide open by injuries to Jayson Tatum of the Celtics and Tyrese Haliburton of the Pacers, both of whom made it to the Finals last year. Instead, it feels like they have lost all the mojo they carried over from last season. At 22–19, the Cavs currently sit in the No. 7 spot. What makes it even more surprising is that most of the roster remains the same as it was.
Kendrick Perkins, who has had enough, spoke about the Cavaliers’ failures on the latest edition of NBA on ESPN, suggesting that they are by far the biggest shocker in the East, and not in a good way.
“I’m gonna say the quiet thing out loud. They have been the biggest disappointment in the Eastern Conference. Hands down,” stated the former NBA champ.
The Knicks are following up their terrific 2024-25 season by addressing their failures and have even won the NBA Cup. The Celtics, meanwhile, continue to show why they are one of the premier teams to beat in the East, even without Tatum. But the Cavaliers have looked severely inconsistent.
The All-Star break cannot come soon enough for Cleveland. Perhaps during the break, they can try to get the hunger back. That’s what Big Perk thinks is the problem. A lack of hunger.
“The hunger is not there. They’re not starving. This is the team that’s in the second apron that’s supposed to be talking about championships, and they want it to be fun. Winning a championship, trying to win a championship, that ain’t fun. It’s stressful.”
“You see people crying after they win a championships, it’s because of the hours of sleep that you lose at night. It’s because you walking into the facility, the training facility, and you not liking this person that day because you are around them more than your actual family members. When I see the Cavs, I don’t see that hunger,” he added again.
At some point, talk has to turn into urgency, and that is where the Cavaliers are running out of runway. This roster does not need a full teardown, but it may need a serious reality check. Whether that comes through a tougher rotation, a shake-up at the deadline, or simply stars taking ownership when games get tight remains to be seen.
Talent alone is not going to bail them out in an Eastern Conference that is suddenly full of teams playing with an edge. If Cleveland does not rediscover that edge soon, this season could end up being remembered less as a step back and more as a warning sign.
