Cavaliers: Three keys to game vs. Heat on Thursday

Key #2: A potential battle of impressive sixth men

The Cavs have a very good sixth man in guard Jordan Clarkson, who has also done a solid job as a passer and playmaker for others this season, and is putting up 15.2 points in 23.0 minutes per game. Along with that, the Heat have a player who is an impressive sixth man as well in veteran combo guard Goran Dragic.

Dragic, though he has not started in any of the Heat’s 10 games this season, is playing 28.7 minutes per game. Plus, with starting point guard Justise Winslow out for five games thus far due to a reported back issue and most recently a concussion (which as Winderman noted will keep Winslow out vs. the Cavs), the Heat have gotten great play in a bigger workload for Dragic.

On the season, Dragic has had 16.8 points per game. He’s also shot a scorching 44.3% from three-point range while also leading the Heat in triples made per game, as NBA.com has documented.

Dragic is second to star wing Jimmy Butler, who has been a primary playmaker often, especially with Winslow sidelined a fair amount thus far, in assists per game, as well, with 4.9 per outing.

With the way both Dragic and Clarkson often have a significant impact in games off the bench, the sixth man that has more production and/or controls the game in this one better will go a huge way in deciding the outcome of this matchup.

Dragic has helped create great looks for players such as Miami rookie sensations Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro, and also served as an outlet for Butler and others, and in Clarkson’s case, Love, Tristan Thompson, Porter and really Larry Nance Jr. have benefited from Clarkson’s presence, and in some instances, Garland and Sexton.

Nonetheless, as Winderman reported, Dragic is questionable for this game against the Cavs due to sickness, so the Heat may be without his scoring and playmaking punch. If he is able to go, though, there’s a good possibility that he’d have plenty of an imprint on this game.

Tyler Herro, who is questionable in this one (due to an ankle injury), and who has good rapport with Dragic, could have a big impact, too. Anyhow, if he can’t go, it’d cut down Miami’s spacing and playmaking opportunities for Dragic a bit.

Now on to the biggest key in this Cavs-Heat matchup on Thursday.