Cleveland Cavaliers: Youth movement could bring new Big Three

Nance Jr.’s role in the Big 3

Nance has displayed that rim-rattling ability throughout his career thus far, and his athleticism in transition will be utilized much more going forward with younger players getting more playing time now, and veterans potentially on the move.

Nance was able to showcase his leaping ability with lobs from James in pick-and-roll last season, but he really got out and ran with the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly from outlet passes from Lonzo Ball.

This sort of thing could be commonplace, from Sexton, too, with Love on the floor, and Osman (or potentially Rodney Hood) and Korver occupying the corners for catch-and-shoots. Nance rolls will still be a staple for Lue and company.

The future could be bright if Lue does his part in player development in the coming months. Some of the reason that Hood and Clarkson didn’t perform well in the postseason could have been Cleveland’s slow-poke offense, which only accounted for a pace of 93.96 (second-last among playoff teams), per nba.com.

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To compare, the Cavs had a pace of 100.34 (12th-highest out of 30 teams in the regular season). Pushing the pace could force more opponent turnovers and foul trouble as well, as was the case at times for the Cavs when they played younger rosters last year, such as the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers, for example.

Young players, especially perimeter players, benefit from faster offense where they can use their athleticism to create mismatches. That principle applies to the youngsters, and it also correlates to getting Love, Korver and others opportunities for trailing threes in transition.

Obviously, an offense is probably better off when LeBron is involved, but with his ball stopping no longer putting a cap on others’ touches, more balance and tempo can be apparent in Cleveland’s offense, and more varying sets can be utilized going forward.

In short, with Cleveland taking the breaks off younger pieces such as Osman, and with the veteran leadership of its first option in Love and solid two-way guard mentor for Sexton in George Hill (at least to start the season), they’ll be able to adjust their style and do more self-scouting without James being a Band-Aid.

On the interior, Nance can be their defensive anchor, and key rebounder in the near future, and has much more overall game than Thompson.

Next: Cleveland Cavaliers: Top 30 all-time greatest players

Cleveland is going to be a fun squad to watch, even without James. That’s a start.