A potential Cavs’ lineup involving suggested FA target Derrick Jones Jr.

Examining the viability of this potential Cleveland Cavaliers lineup on defense

The key defensively here is Jones being able highly capable of guarding opposing wings, and being switchable.

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Him and Nance are especially active team defenders, too, and that could help out Garland by Jones, in particular, providing plenty of help as a rotator, and/or for Windler in helping stunt out to shooters coming around off-ball screens.

Moreover, the 6-foot-6 Jones has terrific timing in getting in passing lanes both on the help and weak side, as evidenced by him averaging 1.6 steals per-36 minutes thus far in 2019-20.

The same instincts for him flash often as a rotator in blocking shots near the basket as well, which could definitely make a difference here, and Windler does at least have good defensive instincts.

Jones’ 7-foot wingspan plays into that, and even on-ball against wings, if he initially gets out of position, he can often get back and deflect interior looks. His 0.6 blocks per game for his career in 19.6 minutes demonstrates that.

Anyhow, while it’s unclear how Windler will be initially next season, as he did not play at all in 2019-20 due to a stress reaction in his left leg, he and Jones, specifically, would be a good contrast of styles/mesh well at the 2/3.

Windler is a sound rotator, too, that is solid on his contests. Also, both, along with Nance, could make for nice grab-and-go threats after defensive rebounds, where they could seemingly hit Love/Garland as trailers in secondary transition for the Cleveland Cavaliers, along with that.

Looking at 2020-21, this potential Garland-Windler-Jones-Nance-Love lineup could be a really productive one throughout games for the Cavs.

There’d be a notable mix of shooting, playmaking and a key finisher/wing/team defender in Jones that’d tie it together. He’d seemingly fit in as a long term piece for Cleveland, too, if both sides could figure something out down the road.