Three lineups the Cavs should use involving Andre Drummond

Lineup #2: A different player at the 1

A second lineup I would like to see the Cavs go with involving Drummond would consist of Dante Exum at point guard, Sexton at shooting guard, Osman at small forward, Love playing at power forward and Drummond in at the center position.

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Only averaging 1.5 assists per game this season, albeit at a somewhat respectable assist rate of 13.4 percent, Exum would not be an ideal starting point guard, however his placement here is more for the sake of Garland.

I believe Garland can be the starting point guard for Cleveland in the foreseeable future, but the 20-year-old seems to have hit a wall.

Garland could even use a break from starting and instead work to improve his game off the bench with reserves more. Exum and Sexton could create an interesting backcourt for Cleveland if they were able to synchronize with each other.

Dante Exum is still only 24 years old, and on this new Cleveland team he has a chance to excel and improve because his playing time should see a significant increase compared to how it looked for the Utah Jazz, and thus far, he’s played 16.4 minutes per contest.

By playing with Drummond, Exum could work on improving his playmaking skills on pick-and-roll plays, and Exum does have pretty solid passing instincts, anyhow.

Drummond’s offensive talent would lend itself to Sexton’s ability to play off the ball, too. Sexton has proven himself as a reliable scorer, averaging 19.7 points per game and leading the Cavaliers, as noted by NBA.com, and should continue to play at the two spot.

Sexton continues to improve his game as well. In fact, the young guard was selected to take Miami Heat guard Tyler Herro‘s place as an injury replacement in the Rising Stars Game during NBA All-Star Weekend, of which our Dan Gilinsky highlighted.

While some people might see Sexton’s style of play more suited to be a sixth man, I believe the Cavaliers would be doing a disservice to the second-year baller if he did not have a chance to learn and adapt as a starter. With Drummond, the new center is not there just to provide defensive skill, he was also brought to Cleveland with the hopes of changing the mindset of the team.

One of the most debilitating things a young NBA team can go through is constant losses. By bringing Drummond to Cleveland, Altman and the Cavs are trying to compete and create some semblance of a winning environment.

If this plan gains traction, and a winning culture begins to grow, a player like Sexton is going to advance in their game astronomically, thanks to the talent of Andre Drummond on the interior.

Along with Sexton, Drummond should help others such as Osman and Exum, too.