As the Cleveland Cavaliers' season begins to wind down, there are questions as to who will join James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen in the Cavs' starting lineup when the playoffs arrive. Due to injuries and sporadic player availability, it has been difficult to establish consistency in the five matches before the start of the month, making decisions not easy.
However, as Cleveland head coach Kenny Atkinson has mentioned in the past, that's why he has the job he does. Ultimately it is up to him and his staff to make the difficult decisions, such as who starts, who ends, and how many people play.
“We probably have to get to nine,” Atkinson said last week in Milwaukee. “I'm still evaluating who fits in and who will lead the way in terms of coming into the rotation. I still think we haven't made a clear decision on who that nine is.
"But it's hard to play 10. You might be able to do it early in the first round; you might be able to do it in the early games. But eventually, you get to nine or eight. We know that, but I still think we have to evaluate, especially our wings. We have a lot of wings right now."
Realistically, the Cavs can pick whoever they want since they have a number of similar swingmen.
Here are the most likely candidates for that final starting spot.
dean wade
Atkinson likes the defensive versatility that Dean Wade brings to the table and, in turn, has rewarded him with the job when healthy. It makes sense because he's a 6-foot-9, 230-pound underutilized player who can knock down open threes and rebound. People get frustrated when he doesn't make shots and even more excited when he turns down shots, but the reality is that the veteran forward simply needs to be a threat on the perimeter of space and get closeouts.
The Cavs don't need to be a big scorer; Just look at who she's on the floor with. Don't let the box score determine your opinion of Wade. As long as he's doing his job – defending, breaking the glass, and making the perfect next play, which involves shooting the ball – then he's the man for the job. He, Mobley and Allen form a trio that makes it difficult for any opponent to consistently counter, which makes sense considering they have been playing together for five seasons.
Furthermore, if the decision is made to send him to the bench, Wade isn't exactly a prolific scorer to promote him in the way most sixth men typically do.
From the beginning, Atkinson has made it clear that Max Strus' postseason berth is a lock. In four games, despite the ban, he has averaged 23.5 minutes per contest. While Strus' season debut is doing the heavy lifting, he is averaging 8.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists on .440/.409/1.000 shooting splits. Similar to Wade, the 29-year-old doesn't need the ball in his hands to be effective on a nightly basis for Cleveland.
However, Strus can handle the rock, and he has proven capable in the past with the Cavs' rolling bigs in half-court scenarios. He's a pocket passer with Allen in the two-man game, and Atkinson thinks there's still potential with Mobley in dribble handoffs, as he did with Bam Adebayo in Miami. Strus has an uncanny knack for hitting contested threes, being in the right place at the right time for a backtap, and saving possessions with a quick game.
He gives Cleveland solid strength at third, and he has been a (healthy) everyday starter for Cleveland since signing as a free agent in the summer of 2023. If he is physically prepared and ready for the tough conditions of the postseason after this disappointing injury, he will be a big factor.
jaylon tyson
Switching roles isn't as easy as Jaylon Tyson has had to do this season, but he's handled it with ease. The burden from being one of the most important players on your team to playing less than 20 minutes in three consecutive games takes a toll on the mind. And yet, the second-year rising star is doing exactly what he's asked in a specific role. Tyson was rewarded for that on Thursday night in Chicago, as he had an 18-point, 11-rebound performance before suffering a toe injury.
Injury aside, is it fair to ask Tyson, who emerged as a secondary playmaker in short roles next to Mitchell and Co. in the first half of the season, to do a similar job to Wade or Strus? It feels like it puts him in a kind of box, unlike what we saw in the first months. If he's in the starting five, will he be limited to a low-usage role player, or will Cleveland free him up to the max be that? There can be no questioning his commitment as an individual defender or the attitude he brings to the field, although he has been self-critical about losing the ball to opponents on backdoor cuts.
Understanding that people have to pay their dues, it looks like Tyson has earned his money and shouldn't be going back. If coming off the bench allows him to thrive in a looser unit as a facilitator and scorer, so be it. It's admirable that he's willing to be what the team wants him to be, but perhaps coaches should think twice about what they're asking of him.
keon ellis
Keon Ellis made his first two starts for the Cavs in mid-March against the Dallas Mavericks. As a player he's "still discovering," Atkinson has a real passion for how he works in the pocket with his float game. Additionally, Ellis has shown a burst of driving from close to the perimeter, and Cleveland has been pleased with the increase in his offensive rebounding rate since his arrival.
It's hard to argue against Ellis in terms of his defensive ability. He sees the dramas before they happen, acts on them, and resorts to alcohol and sleep on a nightly basis. Atkinson doesn't mind playing him, and he also won't hesitate to toss him to the 4 in small-ball sets. Ellis makes a lot of logical sense as a starter due to his low usage and patience.
Sam Merrill
It's been a career season for Sam Merrill, who is averaging 12.8 points on a career-high 66.2% true shooting. He has started in 33 of his 45 appearances this season, and has had an almost even split between playing at 2 and 3. Merrill is an off-ball threat with consistent movement. His processing speed has improved tremendously with more reps, allowing him to establish chemistry with Harden and consistently thrive next to Mitchell.
Always on the floor, Merrill will leave his body to screen and defend despite being hunted. He will take the charge and ensure that he is present to contest the elections. It appears he is better suited at shooting guard because he is not forced to guard long, tall wings, but he is a starting-caliber player in this league. You can't just look at Meryl one-dimensionally anymore. He will force you to pay off the dribble, get to the basket with cuts and take advantage of any piece of space.
However, who is the right Cavs fit?
The Cavs have an abundance of talent in the wing room for the modern league. Due to the length and strength of his potential opponents at 3, Wade makes the most logical sense. Last year was the only time Cleveland was able to field a healthy version of him in the postseason, and he was 10th in the rotation in the first round. Due to untimely injuries, the team had to throw him into the fire when the Indiana Pacers series was coming to an end.
Wade played only one postseason game with Mobley and Allen, lasting four minutes. One of the team's most effective trio over the past few years has barely made an appearance due to bad luck and lack of opportunity. For example, Wade, Mobley and Allen shared the floor for 249 minutes last season.
This year, in 163 minutes, the combination has a net rating of plus-17.2, with tremendous balance on both ends of the floor. Ultimately seeing this happen with talents like Harden and Mitchell in the starting five last April could be the key to getting off to a good start defensively and setting the tone on the board.
Good defense leads to good offense. Its as simple as that.
Who gets to close out Cavs games is a different story.
