Cleveland Cavaliers: Could Tyronn Lue Cut the Rotation Even Further?
The Cleveland Cavaliers have managed to stay undefeated till the conference finals, and the extra time off makes for an alluring conversation on minutes.
To clear the conversation before I start, Tyronn Lue has not said anything regarding a switch in rotation. It is just interesting to think who might be cut from the rotation since the Cleveland Cavaliers have been so well rested.
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After 10 days of rest, the Cleveland Cavaliers are obviously well rested. While they have just one insignificant injury, outside of that, they are also a surprisingly healthy ball club. If it stays this way, that would be a first for Golden State — facing an opponent at full strength.
In this postseason, the rotation has been a bit different. Unlike most suspected, Iman Shumpert has snuck his way into the rotation even with Kyle Korver getting a quality 19.5 minutes per game. Right now, the rotation consists of the starters Thompson, Love, James, Smith, and Irving then the bench that includes Deron Williams, Frye, Iman Shumpert, and Kyle Korver.
While these eight players are all terrific for their role, the main man in my mind that starts to lose minutes in Channing Frye. Even though Frye helps spread the floor, he will not have the impact that Tristan Thompson would have on the boards, especially with Boston usually using a big like Olynyk or Horford.
Frye could see a reduction in minutes so could Shumpert who averages a nice 19.0. It will also be intriguing to see if Lue opts to use the versatile Derrick Williams more than 4 minutes per game. Lue has options at his disposition, and it most of the minutes will also most likely center around how each games pans out.
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Potentially cutting players from the lineup might actually be a good thing for Lue, and his well-rested Cavaliers might be able to handle the few extra minutes.