5 Cleveland Cavaliers who shouldn’t be back if they stumble in the playoffs

Dean Wade

Dean Wade is not a player that I would say has impressed me. Sure, he’s not shooting as much as you’d hope, and his entire existence on this team has been to play defense, yet you want more out of your third big man. Wade is the primary guy to spell Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley since Kevin Love was bought out, and while Wade is a much better defender than Love, he lacks the rebounding skills Love had, nor does he have the offensive vision that Love had.

Wade isn’t pressing the action with passes like Love did, and that’s clearly holding the Cavs back. Yet if Wade goes out, manhandles Julius Randle, and helps take on the Bucks or whomever in the second round, then the mindset on Wade will change. After all, defensive-minded players can impact a team.

But the Cavs need help to score off their bench and if Wade is just fine in the playoffs, and the Cavs have a chance to upgrade their squad by using him as trade bait, then he’ll get dealt. The best way to help make sure that doesn’t happen is by going full “Hulk-smash” on whoever is in the low post that night