Cleveland Cavaliers: Pluses and minuses vs. the Indiana Pacers

David Nwaba fits well in the Cavs’ new system.

David Nwaba saw his first non-garbage time minutes of the season and he excelled in his role. He brought the energy on both ends of the floor in the 14 and a half minutes he played, finishing with seven points and a block. The Cavs played their best basketball with Nwaba on the floor as they outscored Indiana by 13.

Head coach Tyronn Lue wants this team to play fast in transition and to be a good defensive team. Unfortunately, the Cavs don’t have many players who fit that exact style of play, but Nwaba is one of them. He played like a man possessed on defense and the team fed off his energy and played their best basketball of the night with him on the floor.

While he was playing, they operated at a 101.20 pace. To put that in perspective, that pace was at least 10 possessions higher than every starter, per NBA.com.

Nwaba needs consistent minutes considering he’s one of the younger players on the roster that has the potential to grow into a regular rotation player for years to come. The Cavs currently have a logjam at the two guard and getting him minutes will come at the expense of one of the vets. Saturday’s performance at the least shows that it’s an option worth exploring, though.