Cavaliers: 2019-20 statistics predictions for guards currently on the roster

2019-20 predictions for Clarkson: 13.1 PPG on 54.2% true shooting, 2.0 APG, 24.7 MPG and 38 games active

Clarkson will play a good amount for Beilein and his staff, because of his bench scoring, which we’ve often talked about here at KJG.

Clarkson led qualified Cavaliers in scoring in 2018-19 with a career-best 16.8 points per game on a decent (considering the usually lack of spacing around him) 53.9% true shooting in 27.3 minutes per game (per Basketball Reference).

With Kevin Love hopefully back and healthier more in 2019-20, though, I would think Clarkson will be relied on less to score in his minutes on the floor, and I’d think will be playing more off the ball, when considering other guards that could play a share of the minutes, such as Dellavedova and at times Knight, and obviously Sexton and Garland.

So why only the 38 games active?

I personally see Clarkson as a piece other teams might want to trade for on an expiring deal given his bench scoring pop and/or bit of secondary playmaking, and see him being dealt around that time mid-season in early to mid-January by Cleveland (perhaps for two second-round picks and an expiring wing) likely in order to free up more minutes for the younger guards and/or being able to play Garland and/or Sexton off the ball some with Dellavedova handling some of the offensive setup.

I could see him possibly bringing back a first-round pick if the Cavs send out expiring big Henson (provided he can show some shot blocking and an interior defensive presence), too in maybe a three-team deal where a contender wants to offload a bad contract.