Cleveland Cavaliers forward De’Andre Hunter made his 2025-26 season debut on Sunday night during the wine-and-gold’s home opener, and his presence was immediately felt by the team.
“Just his size,” Cavs head coach Kenny Atkinson said after the 118-113 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. “You see our offense, I don’t know how many [offensive rebounds] he had, but we were just the more physical team. If he doesn’t play, do you win that game? That’s probably up in the air. He was huge, I thought.”
To answer Atkinson’s question, Hunter grabbed four boards, with only one coming on offense. However, those numbers don’t fully capture his true impact on the glass. Hunter was in the mix whenever a shot went up, putting a body on opponents or leaping to disrupt their rebound attempts. Cleveland is challenging him to elevate this aspect of his game even further this year.
Hunter contributed 16 points and dished out a couple of assists in his 27 minutes on the court. His off-the-dribble game was on display with a couple of mid-range pull-ups from the right elbow, and he also got closer to the basket. At a crucial moment to start the fourth quarter, he nailed a three-ball at the top of the perimeter off a pass from Donovan Mitchell.
“It was just efficient for him, and then, finding his spots,” Mitchell said. “Obviously, there were certain shots he turned down that we wish he didn’t. But the fact that he’s continued to be aggressive, getting on the offensive rebounds, being a pest defensively, being able to switch 1-5 at the end — that’s what he brings to us.”
“Just another option offensively,” added Evan Mobley. “Defensively, to have a big guy out there like that, especially against Giannis [Antetokounmpo] and the team that we played Sunday, him being out there is definitely a different look.”
Hunter was also unafraid to apply aggressive ball pressure, an area the Cavs are aiming to ramp up despite some early-season foul trouble.
With his physicality and versatility, Hunter looks to be a pivotal piece for Cleveland as they continue their campaign this season.
https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/cavs-news-deandre-hunter-impresses-kenny-atkinson-teammates-season-debut