CLEVELAND, Ohio — The 55-10 Cavs hear the chatter. They know the comparisons. They just don’t care.
The 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks (60-22). The 2015-16 Warriors (73-9). Two teams that dominated the regular season only to fall short of the ultimate prize. With the Cavs stacking wins at a historic rate, those ghosts are being projected onto them.
But this team isn’t looking in the rearview. They refuse to be defined by what came before.
“I personally, [and] I think a lot of the guys on the team, like, I don’t care what people think of the team,” sharpshooter Sam Merrill said Tuesday. “Anyone that’s saying whatever about our team right now, like, it just doesn’t matter.
“We know who we are, we know what we’re capable of, and we want to win a championship. That’s the only motivation. It’s not about proving anybody wrong or anything. It’s just that’s what we want to do.”
This franchise made a direction change last summer. After winning 99 games over the previous two seasons, it parted ways with J.B. Bickerstaff, opting instead for a fresh approach and voice with Kenny Atkinson at the helm.
And, to this point, that move has paid off for both parties.
Atkinson brings championship pedigree to Cleveland, having been a key assistant on the 2021-22 Warriors team that captured an NBA title. His experience in high-stakes playoff environments gives the Cavs an edge they lacked in previous years.
Before that, he was part of the 2014-15 Hawks coaching staff — the very team the Cavs are now being compared to. But Atkinson has evolved since then, absorbing lessons from his previous stops and the head coaches who helped shape his philosophy.
In his new city, he’s focused on translating that growth into playoff success with a team built to win now.
Beyond the X’s and O’s, the front office reinforced this roster with key additions, all in pursuit of the ultimate goal.
The arrival of De’Andre Hunter has given the Cavs a legitimate two-way wing, strengthening them on both ends of the floor, even at the expense of beloved locker-room presences in Caris LeVert and Georges Niang. Hunter’s best friend and former college roommate, Ty Jerome, is having a breakout season, making the most of his return after playing just two games last year.
And then there are the internal leaps.
Evan Mobley, long heralded for his defensive prowess, has broken through — his offensive game is catching up to his already elite defense, making him an All-Star force.
Darius Garland, after suffering a fractured jaw and enduring personal loss, has battled back to reclaim his All-Star form, proving his resilience night after night.
When Atkinson reunited with Jarrett Allen this summer — years after their first stint together in Brooklyn — they dove headfirst into film study and on-court drills, fine-tuning Allen’s role to enhance his synergy with Mobley.
The result? A frontcourt so dynamic that opposing teams are now scrambling to replicate it, knowing they’ll need a pair of elite rim-runners, offensive anchors, and defensive enforcers just to keep pace in the playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell, the franchise cornerstone and steadfast leader, is balancing his role as both a prolific scorer and a skilled facilitator. His offensive mastery now flows beyond personal scoring — Mitchell has become a gravitational force, drawing defensive attention and creating openings for his teammates.
By shifting between being the focal point and strategically leveraging his presence, he ensures the offense operates fluidly, allowing others to shine without sacrificing the team’s overall rhythm.
This team, although composed of similar pieces from years past, is different. It feels different. And while the stars shine, the role players keep everything intact, answering every call, stepping up when needed, making sure there’s no letdown at the margins.
The Cavs aren’t some overnight sensation. This core has been forged over years, turning from a play-in team into a title contender. Growth isn’t just a word to them — it’s a foundation.
“Every single year I’ve been here, at least we’ve gotten better and better,” Allen said. “We’ve gone further and further in terms of our development. And the next step for us to finally be that great team that we’ve been striving to be all this time is to win in the playoffs.”
That’s why they brought in Atkinson. He’s not here to collect regular-season wins; he’s here to prepare this team for a playoff war. His approach? Build winning habits now so they translate when it matters most.
“That’s what we’re here for. It’s the ultimate goal. You want to play well in the playoffs and keep going, take it another round. We’re just in that mindset of that’s what’s most important,” Atkinson said Tuesday. “Not discounting the regular season at all, right? But you have to build your habits and you have to keep getting better. And that’s what this regular season has been about. But we know who [we are].
“I was just thinking the other day, the Detroit Lions, guess they had a great year and then they lose in the playoffs, and it’s like after a game, I think the coach is like, it’s a disappointment. Big disappointment. We don’t want to be there, so we’re focused, we’re locked in. It’s got to come though, right? We can’t create these simulations like, oh yeah, let’s simulate this. We got to have the teams in front of us and we got to try to knock ‘em out.”
The Cavs aren’t just trying to take the next step. They don’t want to settle for making the Eastern Conference finals just to continue their one-round improvement over the last four years. They want more. They want to make a run at the NBA Finals.
And if they do? Dan Gilbert has never been shy about spending to keep a championship-caliber squad intact. If this Cavs team can succeed in the playoffs, history suggests ownership will ensure they stay there.
The only players on this roster with experience beyond the Eastern Conference semifinals are Max Strus, who made it to the Finals with Miami, and Tristan Thompson, who helped the Cavs earn their only championship in franchise history.
But this team wants to prove that this isn’t just another feel-good story of regular-season dominance.
“You got to find a way to bring the city another championship and that’s the goal,” Mitchell said.
There’s no blueprint for the Cavs, no script they’re following. The comparisons? Let the analysts and fans debate them. This team is too busy writing its own story.