NBA insider said the Cavaliers’ full potential could be held back by ‘injuries’

The Cavaliers enjoyed an incredibly successful regular season in 2024-25. In his first year as head coach, Kenny Atkinson helped lead Cleveland to a 64-18 record. That was #1 in the Eastern Conference. 

Despite being the East’s #1 seed in the postseason, the Cavs lost in the conference semi-finals to Indiana. Cleveland has kept the core of their roster together this offseason. The hopes to compete for a championship in 2025-26. ESPN’s Tim Bontemps recently wrote about the Cavs’ chance to compete for a title. He said that “injuries” could be the largest factor in play next season.

Tim Bontemps isn’t convinced the Cavaliers can win a title in 2025-26

After a disappointing end to their season, the Cavaliers are eager to compete in the East in 2025-26. Cleveland was dominant in the regular season. They had two separate 15+ game win streaks last year. Donovan Mitchell and the Cavs cruised through the regular season but sputtered out in the playoffs. Heading into 2025-26, the core of Cleveland’s roster is returning. Along with Mitchell, that includes Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen.

As noted by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, all four players are under 30 years old. In a recent write-up for ESPN, Bontemps shared an interesting anecdote. He said history tells us that injuries are something to monitor once spring arrives. This was true for Cleveland in the 2025 playoffs. The team was not at full strength, which showed in the conference semi-finals.

“You’re not winning a title with Donovan Mitchell as your best player. You could win a title if the Evan Mobley that is in there becomes a top 5 or 10 player in the league.”

– Tim Bontemps pic.twitter.com/jI1GHguFJ4

— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) May 21, 2025

Darius Garland suffered a toe injury late in the regular season and re-aggravated it in the playoffs. He had to miss four consecutive playoff games for the Cavs. Garland tried returning, but he was ineffective due to the toe injury. The all-star PG had toe surgery this offseason. Additionally, Evan Mobley suffered an injury in Game 1 of the East semi-finals vs. the Pacers.

The 2024-25 Defensive Player of the Year suffered an ankle sprain and missed Game 2. Mobley returned for Game 3, and the Cavaliers lost the series in five games. That was a massive disappointment after Cleveland finished first in the Eastern Conference. As Tim Bontemps mentioned, injuries can kill momentum in the postseason for even the best teams.