As you carve your turkey with the background noise of NFL football on the television this Thanksgiving, the hope is that the Cleveland Cavaliers will be in the middle of an early-season turnaround.

An important stretch of games is approaching, one that could offer a clearer picture of how the remainder of the 2026-27 season will unfold.

Hopefully, Wednesday’s 48-minute street fight at Madison Square Garden against the New York Knicks was the catalyst this team needed, rather than a mere blip on the radar of an otherwise underwhelming start. With a look at the upcoming schedule leading into Thanksgiving, there’s legitimate reason for optimism if Kenny Atkinson and his group can build on Wednesday’s win.

Let’s take a look at what’s ahead for Donovan Mitchell and company.

At Miami – Friday, November 13

This won’t be a cakewalk by any means, but it will be a good follow-up test after the strong win the Cavs pieced together in New York. After getting out of the gates slowly at 0-4, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his new Heat team have won five of their last seven games. Miami will also be well-rested, having not played since Tuesday, when it takes the floor against Cleveland.

It’s also an NBA Cup group-stage contest, which could add another layer of intensity and competitiveness. Road wins are never easy in the NBA, especially on a Friday night in Miami. Let’s just hope they keep James Harden away from South Beach until after the game.

Four-Game Homestand – Dallas, Chicago, Memphis, Indiana

Following the trip to South Florida, the Cavs return to the comfortable confines of Rocket Arena for their next four contests. The homestand features matchups against teams a self-proclaimed title contender should expect to beat on its home floor.

The Cooper Flagg-led Dallas Mavericks and Cameron Boozer-led Memphis Grizzlies enter Thursday with identical 7-4 records, though their road performances have been quite different. The Mavs are currently 2-2 away from Dallas, while the Grizzlies have an impressive 5-0 road record.

Despite their strong start away from FedExForum, Memphis is the second-youngest team in the league and is actively integrating Boozer as a primary offensive weapon. Regardless of Boozer's high ceiling (see below), the Cavs have no excuses.

Sandwiched between Dallas and Memphis is a visit from the rebuilding Chicago Bulls. Despite a promising future on the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago shouldn’t pose a serious threat to this veteran-laden Cavs team on its home floor.

Especially if Caleb Wilson, the exciting and super-athletic 20-year-old from North Carolina, is still sidelined with a hand injury.

Two nights later, the Cavs host an Emirates NBA Cup game of their own as the 4-8 Indiana Pacers come to town. Indiana remains without star guard Tyrese Haliburton because of a hamstring injury, but the Pacers have been consistent defensively under head coach Rick Carlisle and will assuredly provide a tough test. If Cleveland’s stars impose their will, its talent should eventually win out.

Business Trip to Chicago – Monday, November 23

By the time Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers land at O’Hare International Airport to face the rebuilding Bulls, we should have a much better idea of the team’s trajectory. Either way, a visit to the team currently sporting the league’s worst defensive and net ratings should be a welcome sight for Cleveland.

Whether the Cavs are riding a winning streak or coming off a disappointing NBA Cup loss to the Pacers at home, they should handle business against a Bulls team still searching for its first win at the United Center as I type this.

Rematch at New York – Wednesday, November 25

The sequel to Wednesday’s impressive victory at the Garden takes place on Thanksgiving Eve and should be one of the toughest tests for Atkinson and company to date.

How will James Harden follow up his 32-point performance? Will Evan Mobley assert himself more in the rematch? How will the potential return of Sam Merrill’s shooting impact the floor spacing for Donovan Mitchell against a stout Knicks defense? These are all questions that will be answered.

The next handful of games could tell us quite a bit about what this Cavaliers team is capable of becoming. A road test in Miami, four games at home and a Thanksgiving Eve rematch with New York offer Cleveland a real opportunity to build momentum before the holiday.

By the time the turkey hits the table, we’ll hopefully have a much better idea of whether Wednesday’s win was the beginning of something or just another brief reason for optimism in an otherwise frustrating start.