The Team That the Cavs Will Struggle Most With in 2026-27

Thinking ahead to the Cleveland Cavaliers 2026-27 schedule, there is plenty to be excited about. The nerves will be there for many folks, too. Coming off the strugglesome ECF beatdown by the Knicks, things did not end the way they were expected to following knocking the top seed out the round prior.

But this time around, it is not the squad from New York that will give Cleveland the most struggles. That’s right. There is a new foe, a more potent one, that is gunning to try and win the East this season.

Yes, this is about the Indiana Pacers.

The Depth Remains Scary

The 2nd round of the 2025 East playoffs were a forgettable time for Cavs fans. The team did not handle their business well, and despite a 64-18 regular season and historic drubbing of Miami in round one, the Indiana team just gave them fits the entire time.

Sure, that iteration of Cleveland was shorter, and had less length. But it was a serious issue. The team is now better than before, having added Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre. They have the size with Aaron Nesmith, Jarace Walker, and Oubre playing the wings. Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton have proven incredibly clutch, and now that they are healthy, the sky is the limit.

Despite his smaller size, Andrew Nembhard has proven to be an incredibly difficult defender to shake. Plus, the ability he gets when postseason play starts to just start burying practically every shot. The peskiness of TJ McConnell. This is the biggest dark horse in a fully rejuvenated Eastern Conference. Donovan Mitchell and co. were far from their best last time.

Of all the newly revamped squads, Indiana is probably getting the least love. And it only gives them more fuel.

The Cross Matchups

Every team blew a late lead to Indiana in the 2025 postseason. Cleveland is not alone in that. The Knicks had their moment. The Bucks had theirs. Even the Thunder did in the Finals. The Cavs one wasn’t ideal, as Tyrese Haliburton delivered his clutch heroics.

It’s not that they’re incapable of beating the Pacers, but the Cavs would have their work cut out for them. The additions of Peyton Watson and James Harden since the last time certainly provide more size and athleticism. The playmaking is greater, and they are no longer extremely small behind their tall frontcourt.

But Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith proved to be elite defenders. Indiana knew then they could just play a giant lineup and create all sorts of cross matchup nightmares. Even more than the defending NBA Champion Knicks, this Indiana squad will make life seriously difficult.

Be a Goldfish

Ted Lasso said it best in the original run of the show. A goldfish has a 10 second memory. Be a goldfish. The past is the past, and the Cavs should bear no attention to what happened in the 2025 East Semis. It’s history. Gonezo.

The newly revamped roster will allow them to play the Pacers more competitively than last time. But of all the teams in the conference, they still provide the most trouble. Fully healthy once again, they are the team most hungry to prove people wrong. And that’s a squad at its most dangerous.

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