The Cavs are getting closer to full strength with Kyrie ready to return. Playing the hot hand should pay off for them.
The Cleveland Cavaliers seem to be one of the most injury-ridden teams since signing LeBron James during the 2014 offseason. Losing Kevin Love for the postseason in 2015, then losing Kyrie Irving for the NBA Finals and part of this current season, and in 2016 not having Mo Williams, Iman Shumpert and J.R. Smith for numerous games.
But this team that seems to continue to drop like flies, can be one of the most dominant teams in the NBA once Kyrie Irving returns.
For now, the Cavs seem to be using the “you’re doing well so you can play more” method, and it may be the best choice they’ve made all season. Because when Irving returns, every player on the roster is going to be able to come off the bench and not have to worry about only having played low minutes this season.
Obviously, Irving is going to step right back into his starting role once he returns from his knee injury. For players like Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova though, they will be perfectly okay coming off the bench and producing for the team.
This year, both Mo and Delly average at least 27 minutes per game. So far this season, the Cavs haven’t let either player get comfortable in the starting role. Coach David Blatt has made it clear that whoever was playing better was going to start and whoever had the hot hand during the game was going to play more minutes.
It’s no secret that Mo Williams and Matthew Dellavedova are two different styled players. For the Cavs though, that’s the best thing. Once Irving is back, the Cavaliers have options that any team would love to have.
The Cavs aren’t going to be worrying about whether they need Delly or Mo to play because of an offensive of defensive threat for the other team. Irving is talented enough to be a great offensive and good enough defensive threat, but no one is able to play an entire NBA game. That’s when Delly and Mo come in.
The Cavaliers will be able to use Mo and Delly in situations where their talents put the Cavs in the best situation, once Irving gets tired and to help ease him back onto the court.
For Mo, the Cavs will most certainly use him in offensive situations. During offensive scoring runs, when the team needs big threes, and other circumstances, Mo Williams will be a reliable fit for the Cavs. Averaging 13 PPG and 4.1 APG, Williams is a quality option off the bench to support any offense.
Delly on the other hand, is the scrappy player that can get anything started. Everyone saw his breakout performances in the postseason in 2015, and how he can provide a spark for the Cavs at any moment. The fact that he goes 110% at all times is something the Cavaliers love and can use throughout any game. Delly isn’t the best scorer, only averaging 8.5 PPG. But his intensity can be used in almost any situation. When the Cavaliers need someone to go out onto the court and make sure the entire team is energized, Delly is going to be the guy to call on.
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Delly isn’t the best scorer, only averaging 8.5 PPG. But his intensity can be used in almost any situation. When the Cavaliers need someone to go out onto the court and make sure the entire team is energized, Delly is going to be the guy to call on. He has also greatly improved his passing, ball handling and general feel for the game this season.
So, while the Cavaliers are preparing to face the Golden State Warriors on Christmas, because everyone knows that’s their biggest focus right now, they don’t need to worry about bench production. Because Delly and Mo have had way more than their share of playing time this season.
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