Cavs Schedule Breakdown: LeBron’s Quick Stop, Champs In NBA Cup, More

The 2024-25 NBA season doesn’t tip off for a few more months and thank heavens. We could all probably use the break. But the Cavaliers did release their schedule, along with the rest of the league, on Thursday.

Spoiler alert: They play 41 at home and 41 on the road. They also play everyone else in the league at least twice apiece. 

Oh, and from the looks of things so far, the Cavs are running it back with largely the same crew — from Donovan Mitchell to Darius Garland to Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley and beyond. All they’ve really done is change the coach (J.B. Bickerstaff to Kenny Atkinson).

And that’s not a terrible idea. They won 48 games and advanced to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season despite the array of big injuries and a bad year from Garland. They are planning on Garland bouncing back and Mobley taking his game to another level under Atkinson.

Here are the things that stand out to me regarding the schedule. (You can view the entire thing here.)

Toronto Visit: Once again, the Cavs will open the season on the road. The NBA seems to love doing that to them. This year, it’s Oct. 23 in Toronto. On the bright side, the first three opponents — Toronto, Detroit and Washington — were non-playoff teams.

JB’s Return: Bickerstaff is now the coach of the Pistons. I’m truly happy for him. He may be my favorite coach to cover in my 17 years of doing this and I’m sure I’ll make my way to Motown for a game. He should be a great fit for another rebuilding situation. Bickerstaff and the Pistons serve as the Cavs’ home opener on Oct. 25.

LeBron’s Return, Part 111: OK, LeBron James hasn’t really been back with a different team that often. But it sometimes feels like it. He’s going to be 40 this season. There won’t be many more returns. This time, it takes place quickly, in the fifth game of the season for the Cavaliers — on Oct. 30. The Cavs need to win. They enter the season as a better team than the Lakers.

Magic Moment: Two nights later, the Cavs host the Magic in a first-round rematch. Orlando is up-and-coming and likely improved. Cleveland needs to set the tone in what could be perhaps a budding rivalry.

Boston For Cup: The Cavaliers begin play in the NBA Cup against (you guessed it) the defending champion Celtics in Boston on Nov. 19. I am in the minority and think the NBA in-season tourney (or “Cup,” as it’s now being billed) is kind of cool. Does it win over new fans? No. Do die-hards have another reason to discuss the regular season? Oh, you’d better believe it.

West For The Holidays: The Cavs take off for the West Coast for the first time right around Christmas — with dates at Denver (Dec. 27), Golden State (Dec. 30) and the Lakers (Dec. 31), followed by a trip to Dallas (Jan. 3). That’s right, the Cavs visit LA on New Year’s Eve, and the day after LeBron’s 40th birthday. Oh boy.