CLEVELAND, Jan. 3, 2026 — The Cleveland Cavaliers entered this season with championship aspirations, but reality has been far more sobering. Sitting eighth in the Eastern Conference with a 19-16 record, they find themselves looking up at the New York Knicks (23-10), the very team many predicted they would battle for supremacy.
But after a turbulent December, the Cavs might finally have found the formula to save their season: Stop forcing the perimeter and start bullying the paint.
The Strategic Pivot
Riding a fresh two-game winning streak, Cleveland has looked like a different team in victories over the San Antonio Spurs and Phoenix Suns. The catalyst hasn’t been a barrage of three-pointers from Donovan Mitchell, but a concerted effort to run the offense through the frontcourt towers, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
Point guard Darius Garland, the engine of Cleveland’s offense, was blunt about the shift following the win against Phoenix.
Get the bigs the ball. Involve them as much as we can; they do so much for us on the defensive end, Garland said. Hit them on the short roll, and make plays for them, so they can do their thing.
This isn’t just player-speak. It is a directive from head coach Kenny Atkinson, who has been searching for a way to balance a roster that—on paper—is one of the league’s most talented.
By The Numbers
The results of this inside-out philosophy are undeniable.
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Vs. San Antonio: Jarrett Allen exploded for 27 points, punishing the Spurs’ interior defense while Garland played the maestro with 11 assists.
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Vs. Phoenix: The frontcourt dominance continued, with Allen and Mobley scoring 16 points apiece, effectively neutralizing the Suns’ rotation.
When the Cavaliers’ bigs are eating, the floor opens up. Atkinson’s vision of a dynamic system relies on this balance; when defenses collapse to stop Allen on the roll or Mobley in the post, Mitchell and Garland get the airspace they need on the perimeter.
The Rotation Shake-Up
The tactical shift coincides with a significant personnel move. Atkinson recently made the difficult decision to bench offseason acquisition Lonzo Ball in favor of the energetic Craig Porter Jr., a move intended to stabilize the second unit.
While Ball’s arrival was met with fanfare, the Cavs needed grit and consistency—traits Porter Jr. provides in spades. This willingness to adapt rotations, combined with the renewed focus on the frontcourt, suggests Atkinson is done experimenting and ready to win.
The Cavaliers are still far from the second-seeded Knicks, but the panic button has been unpressed. If Garland continues to orchestrate this heavy-hitting offense, Cleveland has plenty of runway left to turn a disappointing start into a terrifying postseason entry.
Key Takeaway: The Cavaliers (19-16) are correcting their course by shifting offensive focus to their big men, a strategy that has sparked a critical winning streak.
