The Land Before Time: Cavs Pre-Game Thoughts
October 22, 2025 at New York Knicks
Anyone else have “Roundball Rock” running through their head today???? Last night the best TV intro song in sports re-entered our lives with the same flair that it did in the 1990s as the NBA returned both to NBC and the sporting calendar. In a dramatic double overtime game, the Oklahoma City Thunder outlasted the Houston Rockets. What a way to start the new NBA season!
Tonight, the Cleveland Cavaliers begin their journey.
The sky is literally the ceiling for the Cavs this season. Everyone knows all too well what the oddsmakers say about this team’s chances to win the Eastern Conference and the NBA Championship. Lucky for us, we get a chance to test the championship mettle of this team right off the bat against the other favorite to win the East: the New York Knickerbockers.
It’s not an understatement to say that the Cavs dominated the Knicks last season (tune in to tonight’s halftime show on Playback to find out more about that). However, the Knicks have deepened their bench with acquisitions like Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson. They are formidable, and it would be great to see the Cavs continue their recent form against what many people think will be their opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Cavs also have new additions (Larry Nance Jr, Lonzo Ball) that they hope will add depth and fill gaps. With their salary cap situation, this roster will be static throughout this season. So, there will be plenty of time to discuss this Cavs squad and route to a title over the next six months. Tonight, I will keep the analysis of what I am looking for in this game and the opening stretch of the season simple:
1. Will Evan Mobley make another leap? If so, how far can he go?
The Cavs’ title chances may be directly related to Evan Mobley continuing to improve on last season’s NBA DPOY and All-NBA Second Team performance. I wrote last season about how he has already become the most important player on the team. I will slightly modify that for this season: Evan Mobley needs to ACT like the most important player on the Cavs.
2. Will the good vibes continue for this roster?
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this team is how much they get along and seem to enjoy playing with/supporting each other. The way last season ended might put some stress on those attitudes if tangible progress is not being shown. Odds are that we won’t see any cracks in the Cavs’ attitudes until the playoffs, but I will still be watching to see how they mesh, especially as Evan Mobley continues to join Donovan Mitchell as the top dawg.
3. Who will be this season’s surprise?
Last season, Ty Jerome took the NBA by storm with his surprising leap and his reality-defying floaters. Now, he is in Memphis. There are plenty of contenders for this year’s surprise. Can it be the veteran Lonzo Ball, shocking us with his good health and offensive generation? Could it be Craig Porter Jr, showing us that the flashes of brilliance last season were his true self? How about Jaylon Tyson? He was outstanding in Summer League and has the size and athleticism that the Cavs need. Is there any chance Kenny Atkinson can elevate multiple players and create a few surprises?
To all of these questions I have the same response: I can’t wait to find out! Let Go Cav!
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