Factory Of Sadness
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Every in-house player that could start at small forward for the Cleveland Cavaliers

By Chad Porto

Nov 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 30, 2022; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) stands on the court in the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 9, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens (8) dribbles beside Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight (2) and forward JT Thor (21) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 9, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens (8) dribbles beside Charlotte Hornets guard James Bouknight (2) and forward JT Thor (21) in the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

Lamar Stevens

Lamar Stevens and Isaac Okoro have many of the same strengths and weaknesses. Both men are great in transition on both ends of the court, and can really throw their bodies around on defense. Both men are defensive-minded specialists who lack any real offensive playmaking or shooting prowess.

Both players are guys with high-motors and a lot of energy but neither guy has the tools needed to compliment Donovan Mitchell as a shooter at the small forward position. For Stevens, that’s ok. For Okoro, it’s not.

See, Okoro was a Top 5 pick in the NBA Draft the year the Cavs selected him. Stevens was an undrafted free agent who earned his spot on the bench against all odds. You can accept that Stevens isn’t a high-powered player and not want to move on from him, because he has that high-energy motor that comes in handy every so often. But Okoro was supposed to develop into a complete NBA player.

None of this is to say that Stevens should start at small forward over Okoro, he shouldn’t. He’s not as good as Okoro defensively and he’s not as athletic as Okoro either. But Stevens, unlike Okoro, is a player I hope the Cavs keep long-term.

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