Caris LeVert may be the favorite to start for the Cleveland Cavaliers but should he?

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be considering starting Caris LeVert.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have an open spot in their lineup without Lauri Markkanen. An option to fill that role was to call the Utah Jazz back and trade for Bojan Bogdanovic, but the Detroit Pistons acquired the 33-year-old for next to nothing not that long ago, thus ending him as an option. The Cavs do need a viable three-and-D style wing, someone who can play solid defense and score. If the Cavs could find a way to smash Cedi Osman and Isaac Okoro into one player, that would solve the issue.

Instead, the Cavs are planning on going with Caris LeVert to start. He’s at the very least the early favorite to do just that.

According to Sam Amico, the Cavs consider LeVert to have the inside track to start at small forward. He’s tall enough, long enough, and a viable mid-range scorer. He’s a starter on most teams in the league, and that’s not in doubt, the question is does his middling defense and lacking three-point game fit with what the Cavs need?

The Cavs need more three-point shooting from their starting five, which is why it makes sense o consider starting Cedi Osman or Kevin Love as well, as they’re better perimeter scorers. LeVert is a solid NBA starter, that shouldn’t be dismissed. He’s a good player but is he a good fit for the starting rotation?

The Cleveland Cavaliers may be forced to start Caris LeVert

The Cavs have five real options for the position. LeVert, Love, Osman, Okoro and, Dean Wade. Six if you want to Consider Lamar Stevens but Stevens isn’t nearly as good on defense as some of the others and most of them, save for Okoro, are better scorers.

So, in essence, five guys for the spot. LeVert is the most average of all the guys across the board. He doesn’t do any great, but he doesn’t do anything poorly. That gives him the edge if you’re looking for the best all-around player.

If you’re looking for the best offensive fit, you go with Love. If you want the best defensive fit, you want Wade. If you want the best defensive player, though smaller and not as imposing, you go with Okoro. If you want a creator, you go with Osman.

The problem is Love isn’t a perimeter defender, and using him in the starting lineup would force Evan Mobley to fill in at the three on defense far more often than he may want to. Wade can do the same things Markkanen did defensively but he isn’t nearly as good as Markkanen was offensively.

Okoro is undersized and an offensive liability while Osman is inconsistent unless he has the ball in his hands. With the fact that you have Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell already on the squad, the last thing you want is to put even more ball-handlers on the court at the same time.

Every one of the other four names mentioned is better than LeVert in something. Love is a better scorer, Wade is more physical, Okoro is a better pure defender and Osman is a better play-maker, but LeVert is the only one of the five who can do something everyone else can do to some degree.

That logic is why it makes sense to start LeVert. Though, if a trade comes around to improve the position (not Jae Crowder), then the Cavs should consider that.