A lineup Cavs could use next year involving a 2020 NBA Draft prospect

Cleveland Cavaliers’ defensive viability with this lineup

While this group would feature three youngsters on the defensive end, along with a limited on-ball defender in Love, Porter has shown promise on defense, and his feel has gotten better in terms of timing up his stunts.

KPJ has averaged 1.4 steals per-36 minutes this season so far, per Basketball Reference, and I’d expect his feel to continue to get better next season, which would be able to help Windler, and in that regard, a terrific rotator in Nance could as well.

Coupled with Nance’s impact as a rotator, Okongwu is a player that even as a 19-year-old, was so impressive at USC. Okongwu’s timing for playing passing lanes, combined with his recovery quickness allowing him to get back, could help elevate perimeter defensive issues in this lineup from youth/Windler taking time to adjust to NBA quickness.

Most notably, Okongwu, even at 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds as a NBA 4/5, is very switchable, and that is something that could allow the Cavs to experiment with him out there, such as with this group.

Lastly, with Love’s outlet passing, Okongwu’s fluidity at his size, and the grab-and-go threat of KPJ, Windler and now Nance, this group could produce in a big way in the transition game and give Bickerstaff energy as next season progresses. That’d be a solid lift for Sexton, Garland and others, too.

This KPJ-Windler-Nance-Love-Okongwu potential lineup is one that’d have good size, playmaking feel, have requisite spacing for the pick-and-roll/game and should have active rotators.

It’s again clear to me that in the 2020 NBA Draft, if he’s on the board, Cleveland should really consider selecting Okongwu, who would appear to be an impact contributor as soon as next season.