This Eye-Opening Stat Shows Just How Dangerous the Cavaliers’ New Core Four Can Be

If the Cleveland Cavaliers were healthy, they'd likely be on top of the Eastern Conference right now.

But unfortunately, that's just simply not how the game of basketball works.

Following the decision to shake up the roster at the 2026 NBA Trade Deadline, the Cavaliers seemed to have come out with a more well-rounded roster. The players on the court, now paired alongside veteran guard James Harden, seemed to be flowing much more comfortably on both sides of the ball.

However, just as quickly as the team started to settle in, they were forced to readjust to new lineups.

Not long after Harden arrived in Cleveland, both he and superstar guard Donovan Mitchell dealt with injuries. Shortly after, big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley also found themselves sidelined. With four obvious starters rarely sharing the court, developing on-court chemistry has been nearly impossible.

Still, the early numbers from that group when healthy and playing side-by-side are incredibly promising.

Across 76 possessions played together, which is a very small volume, the new core four has a +36.7 NET, 125.0 ORTNG and 88.3 DRTNG, all of which are in the 97th percentile and above.

If that level of production continues once they’re consistently on the floor together, there’s a very real chance Cleveland could push for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The Cavs core four of Mobley, Allen, Mitchell, and Harden have played just 76 possessions together so far

Here's how they rank:

🏀 +36.7 NET (100th percentile)
🏀 125.0 ORTNG (97th percentile)
🏀 88.3 DRTNG (100th percentile)
— Tony Pesta (@Tony_Pesta) March 12, 2026

For a group that has barely had time to adjust to each other’s playing styles, those numbers say a lot about just how dangerous this core can be.

Cleveland's Best Path Ahead

For the Cavaliers, the key moving forward is simple: get fully healthy before the playoffs and figure out who the fifth guy in the starting lineup should be.

They've got plenty of talent on the roster, but adding in the wrong set of legs could throw off the balance the team is trying to build.

Guards Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson and Max Strus immediately come to mind, but all provide different skillsets.

Merrill is primarily a sharpshooter, giving the Cavaliers a knockdown ability off the bench. Tyson, who's just in his second year in the league, has been able to do an awful lot of different things both on offense and defense. This season, he's averaging 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists a night. Lastly, Strus is still trying to recover from injury, but he plays a similar role to Merrill.

Each of these guys is a great player and serves their roles well for the Cavaliers, but what makes sense the most is filling the weaknesses of the other four. That's why Tyson fits the best, allowing him to play the aggressive, multi-skilled three-guard role.

He wouldn't take away anything from the other four, all while helping offensively, under the glass and on the defensive end.

There's an argument to be made for Dean Wade to contend for the last spot in the starting lineup, but his lack of consistency could easily force the rest of the starters to try and overcompensate when he has a bad night.

If the Cavaliers' coaching staff really wants to put Harden, Mitchell, Mobley and Allen in the best spot to continue to succeed, slotting Tyson in next to them allows them to get the most bang for their buck.

Then, off the bench, they'd have an incredible rotation of Wade, Strus, Merrill, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis, all while having even more depth behind them as well.

The biggest factor for Cleveland's title contention may not be talent, but rather chemistry. The early numbers from the new core four show just how dominant they can be. Now, it's just fine-tuning and building a consistent rhythm.