Cavs: Why Dylan Windler can lead team in bench scoring in 2019-20

Reason #1: Windler could be Cleveland’s best pure shooter

KJG contributors have hit on Windler’s collegiate shooting/scoring splits plenty of times.

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At Belmont, he averaged 21.3 points per game in 2018-19, and did so on 68.1% true shooting (per Sports Reference). In his four-year career, he had 13.2 points per contest, and also had a three-point shooting clip of 40.6%, and did so with a three-point rate of 48.7% (again, per Sports Reference).

The key with the 6-foot-7.5 wing in relation to his case in Cleveland’s rotation early on is that shooting stroke; with the way Windler can shoot the ball off-the-catch, he could potentially be Cleveland’s floor spacer, and as the year progresses, in particular.

In minutes on the floor with them, Windler should help out pieces such as Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Kevin Love, Larry Nance Jr., Ante Zizic and many others, such as Cedi Osman, with the way Windler can shoot the ball from way outside, and especially with the lefty’s quick shot release.

In today’s NBA, players that can shoot the ball from three-point range the way Windler can can get production in the scoring department very quickly throughout games, and additionally, Windler has a polished pull-up game, too, to counter hard closeouts, as we’ve also touched on.

Factoring in Windler’s 6-foot-10 wingspan helping him shoot over a bunch of potential defenders in coming years as a catch-and-shoot and off-screen specialist, and with him placing in the 85th percentile in pull-up shooting last year (per NBA.com), he should fit right in as a key piece in Beilein’s system, and should warrant a considerable minutes-share right away as at least Osman’s backup at the 3.

His shooting touch in all three levels, really, could feasibly be the best on Cleveland’s roster I’d think outside of Kevin Love, but Windler won’t get near the defensive attention of Love, obviously, and as a result, could put up big bench scoring numbers.