Cleveland Cavaliers are backing themselves into a corner

The Cleveland Cavaliers don't look like the team they used to be in the 2024-25 campaign.

Now that 2026 is officially here, the Cavs are getting dangerously close to already matching last season's win total despite only making it to the halfway point of the regular season. Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley believes the Cavs have "lost their offensive spark."

"We'll withhold judgement on Cleveland's continued commitment to the Core Four for now, since it feels like an overdue break from the injury bug could cure some of the Cavs' biggest ills," Buckley wrote.

"That said, injury issues aren't new to this roster, so why didn't Cleveland do more to safeguard itself against glaring absences? Bringing back Ty Jerome never felt financially feasible, but who thought Lonzo Ball and his lengthy injury history could serve as suitable insurance behind Darius Garland?

"Garland is at least looking more like himself lately, but Ball looks more like a parachute that fails to open. His scoring punch is effectively powerless, as he's toting around an unsightly 29.9/25.6/70 shooting slash."

Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland smiles during a time out during the second half against the Phoenix Suns. | David Dermer-Imagn Images

Cavaliers beginning to crumble on offense?

The Cavs are lucky enough to have some time to figure out how to turn things around, but the clock is ticking. The team is figuring things out after beating the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns in back-to-back games to close out the 2025 calendar year, but that momentum needs to carry into 2026.

With the trade deadline looming, the Cavs are a team to watch as players like Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen are on the block. However, if the team finds ways to improve over the next couple of weeks and move up the standings in the Eastern Conference, an argument can be made to keep the core together for the latter half of the season.

The Cavs are within three games of the number three seed in the East, so it's not impossible for them to turn things around in their favor. At the end of the day, the Cavs just need to find a way to channel some of the energy they had from last year. If that can happen, the Cavs will find themselves back among the contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs return to the court tonight as they take on the Denver Nuggets, who have four injured starters. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. inside Rocket Arena. Fans can watch the game on FanDuel Sports Network or streaming on NBA League Pass.