Cavs get ‘dangerous’ confidence from Pacers’ Rick Carlisle

Head coach of the Indiana Pacers Rick Carlisle and his team had a rough start last season, just like Cleveland The Cavaliers faced their own battles in the first half of their 2025-26 campaign. When Cavs reporter Serena Winters asked about what signals the group might be better than its record indicates, Carlisle wasted no time with his answer.

“If you ask Cleveland, I believe they’re establishing themselves as one of the most dangerous teams in the entire league,” Carlisle said before Tuesday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. “There’s no way you can match last year’s start. It’s impossible. I mean, nobody’s ever won 15 games in a row to start a season. But this year, like most teams, they’ve dealt with their share of injuries and roster turnover with things like that.”

Carlisle’s outlook should provide optimism for the 21-17 Cavs, who have not played their most consistent or best basketball thus far. There was evidence of the identity they had in the past, especially recently. But there were times when they didn’t even look like a playoff team.

Whether people consider it an “excuse” or take a more understanding view, the reality is that a lot of it has to do with inconsistencies in who was available.

“They certainly haven’t been completely healthy all year with (Max) Strus being out the whole time, but they’re a very dangerous team,” Carlisle said.

That was a common thread from nearly every opposing coach and player when asked what was wrong with Cleveland. Hearing that from the championship winner and head of the reigning Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals should put out some of the flames on the outside. Indiana didn’t have its most promising first few months that season, losing 15 of its first 25 games.

Then, of course, we all know what happened after the start of the new year 2025.

“January is always when the schedules always seem to change a little bit, one way or another,” Carlisle said. “Last year, our schedule was easier; maybe we had one back-to-back all month. We don’t have a lot of back-to-back games this year, but we have a game every other day. Instead of only having 12 games, I think we have 16 this year. So it’s always something. But I think Cleveland is in a very good position.”

Tyrese Haliburton’s magical postseason run — accompanied by Andrew Nembhardt, Aaron Nesmith, Myles Turner, Benedict Maturin, Obie Taupin, TJ McConnell and more — led the Pacers to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years and the second time in franchise history. So there is absolute hope for this team, and anyone close to the playoffs, really, early in the first month of 2026.

There is time to turn it around for Cleveland

According to Tankaton, the Cavs have the sixth-easiest remaining schedule strength in the NBA with a combined opponent winning percentage of 48.8%.

Cleveland coach: “Where we’re at right now is to keep perspective but also have a sense of urgency.” Kenny Atkinson he said. “It’s not like, ‘Hey, everything’s going to be okay.’ This is the NBA. Even really good teams, great teams have gotten off to starts that are not like we did last year. But every season is different. This is a different team this year.”

Carlisle added that what will make the Cavs a threat is their younger players getting experience, mentioning Jaylon Tyson, Craig Porter Jr. and Tyrese Proctor. Their veterans, he said, are “very good” players. Schematically, he’s a fan of Cleveland doubling down on offensive rebounds as part of his offense.

“Teams go through ruts all the time,” Jarrett Allen said on Dec. 17. “Sometimes it takes a while to get out of them. Like Indiana last year, that’s a perfect point of view. They didn’t have the best start to the season. Look at us now, we’re in the same position in a way. … You can see who we are on the court. You see who we are on the court. We know who we are.”

Can the Cavs weather the storm and come out the other side?

This does not guarantee that the Cavs follow the same pattern as Indiana; they could be destined for injury and misfortune for the rest of the season, and failure. Maybe the team isn’t developing, and frankly, that’s what its loudest detractors say it is. Then, the ever so desirable vending machine warriors can get their way and get the pound of flesh they’ve been craving.

Or, perhaps, they could look terribly short-sighted in a few months.

Consider what Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti had to say about life in this league, years before his group won the NBA Finals.

“The sky falls on every NBA team at least twice a year,” Presti said in his 2023 season-ending press conference. “You’re not going to play well for 82 games. You might play terrible for weeks, maybe a month. You don’t have a few months, but every team, the teams that are still playing (in the postseason), the sky has fallen for them this season, and they’re all freaking out. Teams that have sophisticated competitiveness understand that, while you understand that.

“Regression is, ‘Okay, you’ve got to keep going through this and work through it. I think if you have the right principles, the right mentality and the right temperament, you can get through it and become a better player and a better team as a result. There will be lulls. Can you play through the lulls? Can you block out the crowd noise? Can you block out the crowd to still be part of the viewing? Can you? competitor, not a spectator, because that’s your only solution, to get through it?

Forget the record and forget the stats today. If you’re going to consciously rate a partially occupied team, do so with a grain of salt. Fielding 20 different starting lineups in 38 games, it’s clear and obvious that the wine and gold version isn’t who they are at their core; to say otherwise is disingenuous. When the puzzle pieces are in place, Cleveland is balanced and efficient, and should be, yes, a contender.

“Our recent stretch of the game has been better,” Atkinson said. “Even in the Detroit game, we’re in it, we’re there; we haven’t gotten over the problem with two of our main rotation players. So I feel like we’re trending better.”

“We’re by no means where we need to be, but we’re going to catch a wave here. I don’t want to look ahead to the schedule. It’s just like, focus on self-improvement, improving the team, and that will start to (turn around). We’ll make a good run. That’s how I feel about it.”