CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t had many opportunities to see how this team looks when it’s at — or even near — full strength. That’s one of the downsides to having a team undergo renovations at the trade deadline.
As of now, head coach Kenny Atkinson still doesn’t know who the starting small forward will be in the playoffs. Right now, the plan is to decide who’s in that spot based on the matchup and how they’re playing.
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Atkinson was asked if Max Strus was going to be the starting small forward going forward, and said no.
“That position is going to be flexible in terms of starting and finishing,” Atkinson said before the Indiana Pacers game on Sunday. “You have to earn it.”
Atkinson listed five options for who could be in the starting small forward spot: Max Strus, Dean Wade, Sam Merrill, Jaylon Tyson, and Keon Ellis.
Below is a chart of how those groupings have done with the four permanent starters: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. For a point of reference, the Cavs have scored 121.2 points per 100 possessions (88th percentile for offensive rating), allowed 100.6 points per 100 defensive possessions (100th percentile for defensive rating), and outscored their opponent by 20.6 points per 100 possessions (100th percentile for net rating) in the 165 possessions this quartet has played together.
|
Fifth Starter |
Possessions with other four starters |
Offensive Rating |
Defensive Rating |
Net Rating |
|
Max Strus |
68 |
108.8 |
110.8 |
-1.9 |
|
Dean Wade |
56 |
114.3 |
91.1 |
+23.2 |
|
Sam Merrill |
38 |
155.3 |
100 |
+55.3 |
|
Jaylon Tyson |
3 |
100 |
66.7 |
+33.3 |
|
Keon Ellis |
Have not played together yet |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
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As you can see, the sample size is incredibly small. So much so, the data from any of these numbers isn’t really that useful. The Cavs shouldn’t be making any decisions based on this. At the same time, it is encouraging that they have performed well in the limited time their four best players have shared the floor.
Atkinson admitted before Sunday’s game that he’s still trying to figure out how to best use Harden, who will be playing in just his 24th game with the Cavs on Sunday.
“I’m still looking back at James’s career, stealing ATOs (after timeout plays) from Houston,” Atkinson said. “How did the spacing look with the Clippers? I look at some of the Nets’ stuff. … Past teams, have used him as a defender on the four-man?”
The Cavaliers are in a tough position. The playoffs are two weeks away, and they’re still assessing what they have and how to use their best players. There was really no way around this problem when the Cavs decided to overhaul the roster in February. The hope was that talent would win out this season. And at times it has. Other times, they’ve looked like a team still piecing things together.
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We’ll see how this looks in the playoffs. As of now, Atkinson doesn’t know who will be at the starting small forward spot. He is, however, confident in the options that he does have.
“It’s a good problem to have, but these are tough decisions to make, so it’ll be flexible,” Atkinson said.
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