It’s safe to claim that the Cleveland Cavaliers aren’t playing quite as well to start this season as they did to kick off the 2024-25 campaign. Cleveland isn’t far removed from one of the best starts to a campaign in league history, as the team ushered in last season by rattling off 15 straight victories. It became one of just four squads in NBA history to begin a season 15-0.
Five games into this season, the Cavaliers have already picked up two losses. While the sky isn’t falling by any means (Cleveland is 3-2 on the campaign and recently enjoyed a three-game winning streak), a few aspects of the team’s play have been concerning early on. Let’s look at three of them as the month of October wraps up.
1. Lackluster effort on the glass
Considering the Cavaliers aren’t lacking size in their frontcourt, they shouldn’t be getting exposed on the boards game in and game out. But that’s been the story so far this season.
Of the Cavaliers’ five games played, they’ve only won the rebounding battle in one contest. It ended up tied in another. Otherwise, they’ve dropped it three times. To boot, they’ve lost the rebounding battle by double digits twice already.
Maybe no game from this season illustrates the Cavaliers’ subpar effort on the glass better than their recent loss to the Boston Celtics. Against a Celtics frontcourt that’s highly unproven and frankly lacking in talent, the Cavaliers got outrebounded by 11.
Celtics starters Neemias Queta and Josh Minott played limited roles in the NBA last season, yet they combined for a whopping 28 boards. Minott had 15 while Queta had 13, setting new career-highs for both of them. Why is a Cleveland frontcourt this talented letting guys have career nights on the boards?
The Cavaliers have the personnel to nip this rebounding issue in the bud, but in order to do so, it will take greater physicality and energy from their guys, especially their bigs. However, Cleveland might have to try to shake its rebounding woes in its next game without center Jarrett Allen, who’s questionable to play against the Toronto Raptors on Friday with a finger injury.
JUST IN: Jarrett Allen suffered a broken left ring finger against the Celtics last night
He is now questionable for tomorrow's game against the Raptors pic.twitter.com/MEUx7GZEtl
— Cavaliers Nation (@WeAreCavsNation) October 30, 2025
Allen had just six boards against the Celtics. Fellow big Evan Mobley did a better job with 11 rebounds. Obviously, the Cavs need them both. If Allen misses time, Cleveland’s rebounding problems could continue or worsen.
2. Key contributors in shooting slumps
With point guard Darius Garland still on the sidelines after he underwent surgery on his left big toe months back, it should come as no surprise that the Cavaliers are looking to their supporting cast to help pick up the scoring slack in his absence. Five players are averaging at least 14.0 points per contest, but a couple of key offensive pieces for the Cavaliers have started off the campaign with major shooting slumps.
Forward De’Andre Hunter is probably the most important Cavalier in a slump. He’s still Cleveland’s fourth-leading scorer to this point, but he has yet to put together a breakout scoring showing in his new starting role. On the season, Hunter is shooting 36.6 percent from the field, but what’s more concerning is that he’s converting just 27.3 percent of his looks from 3-point range.
Last season, he knocked down 40.5 percent of his 3s with the Cavs and Atlanta Hawks, so he should be able to bounce back.
Floor general Lonzo Ball also hasn’t been able to put the ball in the basket with efficiency. He’s shooting just 26.1 percent from the field, and of the 18 3s he’s attempted on the season, he’s misfired on all but four of them. That’s a 22.2 percent clip, but considering he played just 35 games in the previous three seasons combined before joining the Cavs, fans need to give him more time to regain his rhythm as a shooter.
3. Donovan Mitchell pushing himself too hard too early?
Mitchell suited up against the Celtics on Wednesday despite the fact that he was listed on the Cavaliers’ injury report with hamstring tightness. Even though Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor noted that Mitchell felt like he was dealing with heavy legs more than anything else, the decision for him to play raised eyebrows for some fans.
“The sense that I got in talking to him pregame and talking to him after the game, there probably is some hamstring tightness, but it’s more heavy legs,” Fedor said. “This is the third game in four nights for the Cavs.”
It’s certainly possible that heavy legs were bothering him more than his hamstring tightness, as the game against Boston continued a busy stretch for Cleveland. Moreover, Mitchell shouldered heavy offensive loads in the games leading up to the Celtics contest (as he often does, especially with Garland out).
Regardless, it’s a worrying sign that a player so invaluable to the Cavaliers’ title chase is already feeling some wear and tear. With how much the injury bug has devastated their playoff runs in recent years, they should probably err on the side of caution and have the guard rest if there’s any doubt at all. He’s currently questionable for Friday. A game or two off wouldn’t hurt.
Cleveland’s schedule may allow for Mitchell to miss a couple games if needed, as the Raptors and Atlanta Hawks (the next two opponents) have a combined record of 3-7 on the season. The Cavaliers should be able to compete in those games with or without Mitchell in the lineup.