The Cleveland Cavaliers enter the postseason facing familiar questions about whether they can finally make a deep playoff run. The team has not reached the conference finals in the past three seasons with Donovan Mitchell on the roster.
“In fact, Kenny Atkinson, the coach, a couple times in training camp and early in the season put these numbers on the board; 11-15," Ideastream Public Media sports commentator Terry Pluto said. "And that is the Cavs' playoff record in the last three seasons. They've won 11 games, they've lost 15."
Cleveland opens the playoffs against the Toronto Raptors in a first round matchup. The Cavs have home court advantage in the series as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. Toronto overtook Atlanta on the last day of the regular season for the fifth spot. The Raptors swept all three regular season meetings, but those games came before Cleveland reshaped its roster at the trade deadline by adding James Harden, Keon Ellis and Dennis Schroder.
The Cavs’ season turned around dramatically after a slow start.
“Right at the end of December, their record was 17-16," Pluto said. "And at that point, there were even whispers that Kenny Atkinson might get fired or they might trade everybody or who knows what. Well, since that day they were 17-16, they've won 35 games and lost 14. And that's almost lost ... they have played great basketball since, actually, the calendar turned to ‘26.”
Pluto noted the impact of Harden, with the team going 19–7 when he plays. Harden, 36, is still seeking his first NBA title after 17 seasons, while Mitchell has yet to advance past the second round in his ninth season.
“Hanging over this franchise, I think, is these two highly paid guards, big time players, All-Stars, can they deliver in the playoffs?" Pluto said.
But the Raptors present a difficult matchup.
“They move the ball well," Pluto said. "They have some guys like Brandon Ingram and Scotty Barnes, not big household names, but NBA people know they're good players. And they are tough to defend because they are very unselfish. If the Cavs are not locked in defensively, they could be in some trouble.”
Pluto expects a competitive series and cautioned against assuming an easy path forward.
“People say, ‘Oh, you're just going to sweep, win four in a row,’" Pluto said. "It's really hard to do that in the playoffs. Remember this, to win the NBA title, you have to go through four rounds of the best of seven, in other words, you have to win 16 more games. It's like playing another, I would say, 25% of the season. It's really difficult.”
He said the pressure extends beyond the players to a fan base eager for a deep run.
“The Cavs have great fans," Pluto said. "I mean, they sell out every game. It's just tremendous support that they get. I like the team's makeup too. They have likable guys. I think Kenny is an excellent coach, but it's got to come together at the time of the year where it matters.”
Game 1 against the Raptors is Saturday at 1 p.m. at Rocket Arena.
