The Cavs are planning on a 10 man rotation for the 2021-2022 season.
The Cavs made their preseason debut against the Chicago Bulls and got manhandled. It’s just preseason, however, and it’s not like it’s a win or a loss that matters. The Cavs didn’t really focus on a set group of guys but played a lot of players a lot of minutes. The Bulls mostly know who their rotation is going to be, the Cavaliers, however, don’t
The Cavs are allegedly planning on running a 10 man rotation according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, a move that could come with some benefits. It could also be a move with some detriments. The Cavs are an unknown commodity at the moment. It’s unsure what they have in regards to certain talents on the roster.
The team has a lot of guards to sort through, with the trade for Ricky Rubio and the signing of Kevin Pangos, as well as guys like Dylan Windler, guard/forward Denzel Valentine, the team is going to have to sort through where everyone works best at.
Let’s not even get into the Kevin Love of it all. That whole situation seems murkier with each passing day and it seems unlikely he’ll be off the books until his contract runs out.
With guys like Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley being question marks and unreal expectations being laid on Darius Garland, it’s clear the team has a lot of “what ifs” to work through. So we’re going to look at who should start the season as the starting five and who the five reserves should be.
The Starters
PG Darius Garland
This makes the most sense. While Ricky Rubio could seemingly run a better offense and is a much better passer, Garland is showing improvement as a shooter, something Rubio hasn’t. Rubio is a good scorer in his own right but Garland is nearly a decade younger and it makes more sense to roll with him.
SG Collin Sexton
In my perfect world, I bring Collin Sexton off the bench as the sixth man and just have him sprint across the court, killing the opposing team’s second unit. But fans think having Sexton as the Cavs Manu Ginobli is an insult, whatever. So we’ll start him, even though he could have far more control and more scoring opportunities on the second unit.
SF Isaac Okoro
He’s the starter until he proves he can’t score, or until Cedi Osman proves he can. Okoro has to take the biggest leap in improvement this year because potential will only ever get you fired.
PF Lauri Markkanen
While a lot of people are going with the idea of letting Evan Mobley start, Mobley played terribly in the summer league and was playing against pretty weak talent in the Pac 12. The idea that Mobley is ready to start is already a questionable decision, let alone him be a better option over Lauri Markkanen. Who you just paid a boatload of money for to be a reserve. So, no, we’re starting Markkanen and Mobley can earn his time like any other rookie.
C Jarrett Allen
Unless you’re considering Mobley, the team has no other true center on their roster. Even if Allen was an overpay, he’s the only guy they have left who can actually play the position. This is another reason to bring Mobley off the bench, so he can spell both Markkanen and Allen.
The Second Unit
Ricky Rubio
Ricky Rubio is still a starter on a lot of other teams, so it makes sense that you give him a lot of minutes and essentially make him your sixth man. He can obviously run the point, but if Darius Garland can shoot better in 2021-2022 than he did last season, then you could also have Garland play the two, while Rubio takes point. Essentially giving both Sexton and Garland a guy they can be subbed out for.
Evan Mobley
Evan Mobley is an unknown commodity. He was inconsistent in the summer league and so far his defense is anything but elite. It takes time for this stuff to develop, so there’s no reason to panic but people should remember that nearly two out of every five Top 5 picks in the last 22 seasons (not counting 2020 or 2021) end up being busts. Is Mobley a bust or is he the next great big man? No one knows, they just hope.
Cedi Osman
Cedi Osman works too hard to be a player who regresses as a pro. More than likely, hopefully, we’re begging here, last year’s shooting woes were an anomaly. If Osman can get back to, or around 40% as a three-point shooter, and shows off his ability to create as a play-making point-forward like Hedo Turkoglu back in the day, Osman could be a very vital piece to the puzzle.
Kevin Love
He can still shoot and still rebound, so if Kevin Love is still on the team then he should still contribute. Make him earn his bloated pay somehow. Love isn’t likely to be a difference for the Cavaliers but should he actually make an impact, maybe more playing time will be warranted.
Dylan Windler
This was a toss-up but it came down to helping heal to the one thing the Cavs sucked at most in 2020-2021, besides everything else, which was three-point shooting. Dylan Windler can be a good three-point shooter and can even be a good all-around playmaker if he’s healthy. He has to be on the court, however, and he has to be able to hit his shots. Otherwise, there’s no point.
Who to watch
These are the players who could get minutes should trades and injuries start to mount up.
Kevin Pangos
He made a name for himself playing point guard overseas and the Cavs are hoping Kevin Pangos can do some good for Cleveland. The problem is that there are three ball-handlers ahead of him that obviously deserve more minutes. So the only likelihood that Pangos sees minutes is if someone gets hurt or if either Collin Sexton, Darius Garland, and/or Ricky Rubio are dealt away at some point.
Lamar Stevens
Lamar Steven is a mid-range jumper away from getting serious minutes. His ability to play inside and out is something the Cavs will need to rely on during the season and while he’s proven to be a solid finisher around the rim, his lack of a shooting game from beyond a few feet will limit him. Still, could be a situational guy when the team needs defense.
Dean Wade
He’s a good scorer and should remind fans of Ryan Anderson during his run with Orlando and Houston. Wade really doesn’t have a lot of holes, per se, but he’s also not very dominant. He’s a good three-point shooter, but not great. He’s a good rebounder, but not great. He’s a good defensive big, but not great. The problem with all that is there are guys who are ahead of him who are great at something. Love’s a better scorer, Markknanen’s a better rebounder and Stevens is a better defender. So if someone wasn’t going to get minutes, it wouldn’t be any of them.