Cavs and Knicks Eye Rare Opening in the East
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The Eastern Conference landscape heading into Wednesday’s season opener at Madison Square Garden looks unusually forgiving, placing the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks squarely among the early contenders for a trip to the NBA Finals.
Injuries Elsewhere Shift Balance
Last spring’s postseason saw Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton suffer Achilles tears, a pair of setbacks that altered the conference’s power structure. With two All-NBA talents sidelined, Cleveland and New York both enter the new campaign facing fewer established obstacles.
Cleveland Spares No Expense
Cleveland is the league’s lone franchise operating above the second tax apron, a punitive level designed to curb overspending. Including penalties, the Cavaliers’ payroll approaches $400 million. President of basketball operations Koby Altman doubled down on a core led by Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, supported by four former All-Stars and extensive depth.
Second-year head coach Kenny Atkinson fine-tuned the roster by trading for guard Lonzo Ball and adding frontcourt size after Indiana exploited the team’s lack of bulk in the playoffs. Forward Evan Mobley is expected to shoulder more offensive responsibility, while DeAndre Hunter steps into an expanded role as Max Strus recovers from a foot injury.
“We’ve really created an identity,” Atkinson told ESPN. “We’re going to double down on that, but we do need to make some tweaks to how we play.”
New York Banks on Stability
New York narrowly stayed below the second apron, preserving roster flexibility while retaining every key contributor. The significant change came on the bench, where Mike Brown replaced Tom Thibodeau following the franchise’s deepest playoff run in 25 years.
Brown plans to modernize the offense and reduce the workload on Jalen Brunson, who led the NBA in clutch scoring and usage rate last season. “You can learn from things in the past,” Brunson said, “but you’ve got to focus on what’s ahead.”
The Knicks bolstered scoring with guard Jordan Clarkson and added depth through forward Guerschon Yabusele. Their foundation still centers on Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. According to ESPN, the club explored trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo during the offseason but could not craft a workable package, reinforcing its commitment to the current roster.
“Our team is unified and has the continuity needed to do great things,” Towns said.
With continuity on their side and conference rivals nursing major injuries, both the Cavaliers and Knicks enter the new season confronting an opportunity that has rarely been so attainable.
Source: Hoops Wire
