The Cleveland Cavaliers have 41 wins this season, more than any other team in the NBA in what has been a shocking rise for the franchise. After going through a head-coaching change over the summer and being mired in trade rumors, the Cavaliers shut the doubters up by dominating on the court for the entirety of this season.
The team knows they have a chance at winning a title this year and made an aggressive move to improve their chances. They acquired Sixth Man of the Year candidate De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks in a major deal that addresses the only major weakness on their roster – their starting small forward.
With Hunter coming in while Caris LeVert and Georges Niang head to Atlanta, let’s take a look at how this move has improved the chances of a Cavaliers championship for this season and the next.
Starters
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
The Cleveland Cavaliers might have put together one of the best starting lineups in the NBA. While this doesn’t have the proven value of teams like the Boston Celtics, this is one of the most complete fives in the NBA this season.Â
The offensive powers of both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell are well-known, with the pair combining for 45.6 points and 11.5 assists this season, the most out of any backcourt duo in the NBA this season. They set their teammates up and carry the scoring load individually depending on the situation, giving them a dynamic offense that is extremely hard to slow down.
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been one of the best defensive frontcourt pairs in the NBA, with Mobley in particular taking a massive leap in offensive production this season. His ability to switch out on the perimeter while Allen patrols the paint leads teams to naturally attempt tougher jump shots which they struggle to convert. There are no easy buckets against the Cavs.Â
Hunter is averaging 19.0 points this season. He was breaking out at the right time, with the Hawks likely trading him due to past injuries and their focus on developing Zaccharie Risascher as their starting small forward. Hunter can complement the backcourt on offense and the frontcourt on defense with his all-around skill set, giving the Cavaliers one of the scariest fives in the NBA.Â
The only thing stopping them from Playoff success at this point might be experience. But the current iteration of the roster has two Playoff appearances under their belt while being led by a postseason veteran like Mitchell.
Reserves
Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Dean Wade, Jaylon Tyson, Ty Jerome, Sam Merrill, Tristan Thompson, Craig Porter Jr., Luka Travers (Two-Way), JT Thor (Two-Way), Emoni Bates (Two-Way)
The Cavaliers bench brings the same sort of versatility we see in the starting five. There are clear offensive pieces and defensive pieces, giving coach Kenny Atkinson the choice to employ specific players in specific situations, which has led to a lot of their success this season.
Three bench players are their best three-point shooters as well. Max Strus, Sam Merrill, and Dean Wade help the Cavaliers space the floor in different lineups, as all three play different positions. Strus is the team’s former starting small forward, while Merril is a backup shooting guard and Wade is their backup power forward. Their ability ensures that there’s an offensive bailout option at all times.
Their presence is heightened by the fact that one of Mobley or Allen is on the court at all times. Wade excels in rotations where Mobley is the five-man, spacing opponents out, while Merrill and Strus can succeed with either or both bigs on the floor, That’s also why Tristan Thompson is the only backup center on the roster.
Isaac Okoro is the team’s best perimeter defender and will continue playing big minutes as a POA defender. His weak three-point shot might need to be hidden away with different lineup combinations. Backup point guard Ty Jerome has been an impactful two-way presence and has helped the Cavaliers avoid the bench offense pitfalls they were facing last season.Â
Jaylon Tyson is a rookie wing who likely won’t be getting many minutes going forward as the Cavaliers push toward contention with Hunter, Strus, and Okoro in their primary forward rotation.
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