Cavaliers Veteran Shares What Makes Team So Special

The Cleveland Cavaliers' success starts with the leadership from the core four.

Jan 3, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) celebrates with Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

From day one of training camp in the fall, it became clear that the Cleveland Cavaliers' roster was built differently, and something special was brewing with this group.

Yes, Cleveland had the talent to return to the playoffs and make a deep postseason run. However, talent is only one part of its historically successful regular season.

The camaraderie, bond, and quality of human beings in the locker room are part of what elevates everyone's level of play.

This all starts with Cleveland's core four, Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, and how they lead both on and off the floor.

Max Strus elaborated on this and how this contributes to a team-oriented brand of basketball:

"We have four All-Stars talent wise, but they're all also All-Star human beings. I think that's the biggest thing throughout an organization. If your stars are the best people in your locker room that don't come to work with an ego, that's when your team's going to be really good, and we have that, and we have four really good basketball talented players, but they're great people too. And it just allows everybody to be comfortable in themselves and to be comfortable on the court. And when they have that trust in each other, it builds a huge sense of community for everybody involved."

Jan 8, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Max Strus (1) argues a call during the first half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

These comments mean a lot more coming from a veteran player such as Strus, who's been in several different NBA locker rooms. He was even a part of a Miami Heat team that reached the Finals during the 2023 season.

Strus knows what it takes for a team to get the most out of its players, and these comments demonstrate he's very well aware of how rare Cleveland's chemistry is.

The trust in one another and the bond that the Cavaliers have built shouldn't be overlooked. The front office must consider whether breaking up this group to make a trade ahead of the deadline is truly worth it.