Latest news with #ChrisFedor
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cleveland Confident In Title Chances After Learning From Playoff Exit
Cleveland Confident In Title Chances After Learning From Playoff Exit originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Cleveland Cavaliers are entering the 2025-26 season with no shortage of self-belief. According to Chris Fedor, there's a sense within the organization that the team has the pieces, chemistry, and experience needed to make a legitimate run at a championship. 'Rightfully so, there's a lot of confidence from Kenny [Atkinson], and there's a lot of confidence from people inside this organization that the Cavs are ready to compete for a championship,' Fedor said. 'And they do believe that they learned what they needed to learn. We'll see — it has to play itself out. But they do believe they learned what they needed to learn from the latest playoff exit.' The Cavaliers fell on tough times after the departure of LeBron James in 2018. It took years to return to contention in the East, but things finally started trending their way with the addition of Donovan Mitchell in 2022. In just a few years, Mitchell transformed the Cavs into a top contender in the East, and last season was arguably their best stretch since their latest Finals run. With Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen, the Cavaliers managed to finish first in the standings at 64-18. They had a +9.5 average point differential (second-best in the NBA) and went into the playoffs as one of the favorites to win the East. Unfortunately, after a round one sweep over the Miami Heat, the Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Semis, winning just one out of five games. Going into next season, the Cavs are facing overwhelming pressure to achieve real playoff success. Fortunately, they are set to run it back with a few new additions: Lonzo Ball and Larry Nance Jr. Besides gaining valuable experience in the playoffs, they were able to confront their flaws and identify key areas of struggle: shooting, physicality, and late-game execution in the clutch. The biggest thing for the Cavaliers next season is that most of their competitors will be off the board. In Boston, the Celtics are expected to experience a down year, with Jayson Tatum set to miss most of the regular season. There's also the Pacers, who lost their starting center (Myles Turner) weeks after watching their star point guard suffer a torn right Achilles tendon. The only real competition in the East is the New York Knicks, who may experience some growing pains after replacing head coach Tim Thibodeau with Mike Brown. If the Cavs can just stay healthy and use what they learned in last year's series, they'll have the advantage in this matchup and should have an open path to the Finals. As it stands, the Cavaliers have never been in a better position to reclaim the East. With a healthy roster, valuable playoff lessons, and a weakened field of contenders, the odds have never been more in their favor. If they fall short again, however, the pressure to make a seismic move will be unavoidable — and a reunion with LeBron James could be the boldest way to keep their championship window wide open. If nothing else, Cleveland's self-assurance sets the tone for a season that could define this era of Cavaliers basketball. They've invested heavily in their core, trusted in their continuity, and cleared a path through a conference suddenly short on proven contenders. Now comes the real test, proving that confidence isn't just talk, but the first step toward a parade in downtown story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
23-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
LeBron James' Retirement Decision Receives New Update
LeBron James' Retirement Decision Receives New Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated from the playoffs in April, the biggest talking point heading into the offseason was reshaping the roster and acquiring a center to improve their championship hopes. However, no storyline has generated more buzz than LeBron James' future and the possibility of him playing his final season with the Lakers. James opted into his $52.6 million player option for the 2025-26 season but did not sign an extension with the Lakers—a move many interpreted as a sign that his time in Los Angeles may be winding down. Though rumors initially linked him to potential trades, recent chatter has focused more on whether James may be considering retirement next summer. The talks of James playing just one more year before he draws the curtain gained traction when ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that there have been no extension or trade talks between James and the Lakers, suggesting that James could be preparing for his last year in the league. On Friday, Chris Fedor added more insight to the possibility of James concluding his career after Year 23: 'The one thing that I will say is that he is going — I believe, based on everything that I know about LeBron and all the conversations that I've had with people in his orbit, his general orbit — I believe that LeBron is going to make it known that he is going to retire before he retires,' Fedor said. 'It's not going to be a situation where he plays out the final year, and then in the offseason, he just retires.' He added, 'The sense that I get is LeBron wants it all. He wants the farewell tour. He wants all of these different franchises reliving all of his moments against them. He wants all of the glitz and the glam that comes with one of the greatest players, if not the greatest player of all time, calling it quits, eventually.' Should that be the case for James, it would align with how other legends ended their NBA careers. The late Kobe Bryant, for example, announced his retirement few weeks into his final season and was honored by fans and franchises league-wide throughout the year. After more than two decades, it's safe to say that James has undoubtedly earned a similar sendoff—if and when he chooses to hang it up. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Darius Garland's Offseason Surgery Could Impact Start of 2026 Season
Darius Garland's Offseason Surgery Could Impact Start of 2026 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star point guard Darius Garland underwent surgery on Monday to repair a big toe injury that left him either playing hurt or wearing street clothes during most of the Cavs' recent playoff run, according to writer Chris Fedor. Advertisement In addition to the concerning news about Garland's surgery, Fedor indicates that the procedure will keep him sidelined for most of the offseason, which could impact his play next year due to conditioning issues that may arise from a missed offseason. The Cavaliers issued a statement saying that Garland is expected to make a full recovery and should be able to resume basketball activities in some capacity before training camp begins in early October. However, Fedor reports that sources have informed him that Garland might miss some time at the beginning of the regular season. After the team-wide injury issues that derailed Cleveland's championship hopes less than a month ago, the prospect of these issues carrying over into next season raises real concerns. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) and guard Darius Garland (10) wait to enter the game in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.© David Richard-Imagn Images Sources informed Fedor that Garland was still experiencing pain and soreness in his big toe a month after Cleveland's final playoff game against the Indiana Pacers in May. This led Garland and team officials to conclude surgery was the best option. Advertisement The belief in having Garland undergo surgery is that it will hopefully resolve the problem in one fell swoop, providing him with some much-needed relief and ideally preventing the issue from recurring next season. Garland's injury is reportedly similar to turf toe, which is a sprain or tear in the main joint of the big toe that connects it to the rest of the foot. This injury first began bothering Garland in late March as the end of the regular season approached and Cleveland was ramping up for the playoffs. Garland missed two of the final three games of the regular season, reportedly to give the injury a chance to heal before the playoffs. Unfortunately for Garland and the Cavs, he re-injured his toe in Game Two against the Miami Heat during the first round of the playoffs, which kept him off the court for the final two games against Miami and the first two games against the Pacers in the second round. Advertisement After making a surprising early return in Game 3 against Indiana, despite reports that Garland could miss the rest of the playoffs, he didn't seem like himself, shooting 34.2% from the field and 16.7% from three over the last three games of Cleveland's second-round series against Indiana. This marks an incredibly disappointing end to Garland's season, especially considering all he endured to return to form after a disastrous 2023 in which he broke his jaw. That injury and the subsequent surgery caused Garland to lose 12 pounds and have the worst season of his career. Garland described the 2023 season as one of the most challenging periods of his life, so watching him reestablish himself and secure his second All-Star selection during a 64-win Cavs season—only to have it end in injury and an early playoff exit—is incredibly disappointing. However, while the surgery is a setback, Garland's track record suggests he won't stay down for long. He's already proven he can bounce back from serious injury and reclaim All-Star form. If the past is any indication, count on him to rise again. Related: Ott Hired by Suns, Sparking Concern for Both Cavs and Suns Fans This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cavaliers' All-Star set to play in must-win game five
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WKBN) – Chris Fedor of is reporting that Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Donovan Mitchell is available and will start in Tuesday night's game five against the Indiana Pacers. He was seen on the court warming up prior to tipoff. Sam Merrill has been ruled out with a neck strain. Mitchell underwent an MRI on Monday and was diagnosed with a reaggravation of an ankle injury. He was not able to play at all in the second half of Sunday night's blowout loss in game 4. In the 2025 playoffs, Donovan Mitchell has averaged 28.9 points, 4.3 assists, and 4.1 rebounds in 8 games. Indiana leads the series 3-1 and could end it with a victory in game five. Tuesday night's contest is slated for at 7:00 pm at Rocket Arena in downtown Cleveland. It will be televised on TNT. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jarrett Allen to undergo MRI on injured right hand
Center Jarrett Allen hurt his right hand at some point in the first half of Cleveland's 142-105 rout of the New York Knicks on Friday night, an injury that could leave the NBA's top team without one of its key players. Allen is expected to undergo an MRI on Saturday, an off day for the team. The Cavs, who improved to a league-best 46-10 with their most-lopsided win ever over New York, host the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Allen played just a few minutes in the second half before the Cavs announced he would not return. "X-rays were negative, so that's good," coach Kenny Atkinson said. "I do think he's going to get an MRI tomorrow. He came up to me during the game. He goes, 'It's really bothering me. I'm not going to be able to finish.' But good X-rays were negative." Source: ESPN Emiliano Carchia @Sportando Cleveland Cavaliers' Jarrett Allen suffers hand injury, MRI scheduled - 3:16 AM Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor #Cavs Jarrett Allen is OUT for the remainder of the game with a right hand injury. X-rays were negative. - 8:49 PM Chris Fedor @ChrisFedor #Cavs want to get back into top 5 on D. They know that starts with Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. They also know that means both players, quiet by nature, have to be louder on defense. They are trying creative things behind the scenes to make it happen. - 9:56 AM Allen was reluctant to discuss his injury when he was approached in the locker room following the game. The affable Allen, who did not have a wrap on his hand, did offer that he may have gotten hurt while trying to block a shot in the first quarter. "He's fine," chimed in All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell, who scored 27 points in 26 minutes. Allen's injury comes just as the East-leading Cavs were getting back to full strength. Forward Dean Wade returned against the Knicks after missing several weeks with a bone bruise in his knee, and forward Isaac Okoro came back Thursday after being sidelined since Jan. 16 with a shoulder strain. -via ESPN / February 22, 2025 Sam Amico: Cavs' Kenny Atkinson says x-rays on Jarrett Allen's hand negative, thinks it happened on a dunk attempt. Allen will have MRI tomorrow. -via / February 21, 2025 Danny Cunningham: #Cavs center Jarrett Allen has a right hand injury and will not return tonight. -via Twitter @RealDCunningham / February 21, 2025 This article originally appeared on Hoops Hype: Jarrett Allen to undergo MRI on injured right hand
