Underdog Alert: The Surprising Team Poised to Shake Up the Postseason

Revised content: "The Forgotten Prophecy"

This dark horse team could spoil everyone’s postseason predictions. 

While the potential of the Pelicans adding Dejounte Murray alongside CJ McCollum intrigues, it’s always going to take a full season of a healthy Zion Williamson to put them over, and we know better than to predict that. The clutch potential of the Kings adding DeMar DeRozan could clog up the offense in Sacramento and the rising Rockets are real, but both are caught in the West quicksand. Lastly, the Pacers get a full season of Pascal Siakam. They made a run in 2024 and are still deciding when to put the pedal to the medal or ride the brake.

But one that could blow up the East? That’s the Cavaliers. We’re asking for many things to go right here, but the base for all of it is a top-10 defense and an offense that stands to improve.

Cleveland spent the season after their 51-win run in 2022-23 mired in injury muck, starters rotating through extended absences until the final tallies left Jarrett Allen (77 games) as the only starter to top 70. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley combined to play only 162 of a potential 246 games (65.9%). A season after finishing with the No. 8 offense (115.5 points per 100 possessions) and the No. 1 defense (109.9) — good for a +5.6 net rating, 2nd only to the Boston Celtics — the offense ranked No. 16 (114.7) and the defense was No. 7 (112.1).

Scoring exploded around the Cavs, with 14 teams putting up more than 116 points per 100 (there were five such teams the season before) and Cleveland dropped to 48 wins, giving it back-to-back fourth-place finishes in the East. After slugging it out to beat the Magic in Game 7, they ran into the Boston buzz saw and suffered another 4-1 series loss in the East semifinals.

There are some caveats, of course. If Donovan Mitchell is good for a sixth All-Star appearance, Darius Garland bounces back, Jarrett Allen’s defense shines, the shooters thrive and Evan Mobley finds confidence from 3-point range, then the offense should surge and much is there for the taking.

Kenny Atkinson, coaching with nothing to lose, flipped the Nets from a lottery-bound state to frisky in three seasons, setting the foundation for the free agency haul of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in 2019. Here, he steps into the wake of JB Bickerstaff’s rise, and yet no one is projecting the Cavs better than fourth in the East. With a reputation for player development as an assistant with Tyronn Lue (LA Clippers) and Steve Kerr (Golden State) over the last four seasons, Atkinson could crack the ceiling in Cleveland.

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Ben Couch is director, editorial content for NBA.com.

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