Injury issues reared their ugly head at the worst possible time for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season. After each member of their “core four” had a relatively clean bill of health in the 2024-25 regular season, that status quo didn’t carry over into the 2025 NBA Playoffs.
Darius Garland was limited to just five of the Cavaliers’ nine playoff games, and even when he was deemed healthy enough to suit up, he looked out of sorts. Evan Mobley also missed Game 2 of Cleveland’s second-round series against the Indiana Pacers with an injury. Meanwhile, even though Donovan Mitchell appeared in every playoff game, he also got banged up along the way.
Perhaps the Cavaliers got bit by the injury bug and underperformed in the playoffs in part because their approach in the regular season didn’t prepare them for the challenge of the playoffs. Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor said that he thinks the Cavaliers “understand” they need to push their players harder, but he also added that Cleveland will likely implement load management in certain cases.
“I do think that there is a thought inside the organization about how much the postseason matters compared to the regular season,” Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor said. “And the goal is to get there in the best shape that they can get these guys into. And that’s physically and that’s mentally. So, the last thing that the Cavs want to do is overextend these guys during the regular season or push them too hard during the regular season.
“But there’s a whole ‘nother conversation that’s going on as well, and it’s the reality that in the series against Indiana, the Cavs were not ready to deal with the relentless pressure of the Pacers. They didn’t have guys that were ready to play 40 minutes at the highest level with that pace, with that tempo, with that level of defensive pressure coming from the Indiana Pacers.
“So, I think the Cavs are evaluating everything when it comes to the organization, but I do think conditioning is going to be a big deal. And as much as they want these guys to be healthy and they don’t want to overdo it in the regular season, I think they understand that they need to push them a little bit harder than what they did last regular season so that when they do get into these playoff series where their top players are asked to play 38 to 40 minutes, they feel good about their chances of doing that.”
While the Cavs may be looking to push their guys a bit harder to get them ready for the playoffs, Fedor did mention that Garland and fellow guard Lonzo Ball are candidates for load management.
“I know that the Cavs are having conversations as an organization about no back-to-backs for Lonzo Ball,” Fedor said. “If it’s three games in four nights, be cognizant of that when it comes to Lonzo. If it’s five in seven, be cognizant of that when it comes to Lonzo.
“You’re going to see the Cavs really monitoring Darius when he’s actually ready to play. I would think that they would have him on a minute restriction at the beginning of the season. I would think that they would consider the possibility of no back-to-backs for Darius coming off the toe surgery as well. So, I think there are certain guys where they are going to do that load management.”
The Cavaliers are right to already be trying to position themselves for the 2026 NBA Playoffs as best as possible, as this current team has little if anything to prove in the regular season. Cleveland is on the heels of a 64-win season and enjoyed one of the most successful regular seasons in the history of the franchise.
The team also stands out as a virtual lock to qualify for the 2026 NBA Playoffs in a weakened Eastern Conference. Barring nothing short of catastrophic injuries and unforeseen roster moves, Cleveland should comfortably qualify for the playoffs.
The number of games that Ball, Garland and other important players sit out in the coming campaign compared to a season ago will be something worth monitoring for Cavs fans. Hopefully, Cleveland will have a relatively clean bill of health for the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
The hope is that the franchise will eventually be able to return to the NBA Finals and take home a championship for the first time since 2016.