A potential lineup that could really push the pace for the Cavs

The Cleveland Cavaliers should look to push pace more in the near future, as that could open up favorable matchups, based on their lineup construction.

The Cleveland Cavaliers were showing glimpses of them being able to push pace more post-All-Star break leading into the season’s novel coronavirus-induced hiatus.

I’d expect Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff, who took over in that role in that 11-game span, to keep looking to do that in stretches throughout games, even early on with some lineup manipulation.

With his improved handle, Larry Nance Jr. fits into that style, and Collin Sexton and Kevin Porter Jr. are Cleveland’s two best transition threats going into next season, I believe. All three of those pieces should be on the floor together in some stretches, too.

Sexton led Cleveland in scoring with 20.8 points per game in 2019-20, and is one of the fastest players end-to-end in the entire NBA, and Porter, a highly capable finisher with both hands, is so explosive in the open floor.

Along with those two, Nance established himself as a grab-and-go threat after securing defensive rebounds, and with his handle, passing ability, athleticism and continued growth from the perimeter, I see him as Cleveland’s best all-around big. That’s included his versatility defensively and team feel, too.

So again, with the Cavs featuring a bunch of young pieces in big minutes next season/perhaps coming years still to some extent, I’d expect them to look to push pace throughout stretches of games. That’d help boost transition/early offense production and generate favorable matchups, and feasibly increase their free throw chances.

That generally happens if perimeter threats are decisive, attack in secondary transition if that’s there via mismatches, and once defenses begin to expect that, the ball-swings if wings/others run to the corner can begin to open up if the passing feel is there.

Trailing three-point looks could come above the break and/or mid-range pull-ups could then come as a result in secondary transition as well.

So if the Cavs were to prioritize really getting up and down in stretches in games next season, what could that sort of lineup look like, then?

A potential lineup of Sexton-KPJ-Dylan Windler-Nance-Onyeka Okongwu could fit that mold.

A lineup for the Cavaliers that’d fit that up and down mold for stretches that’d comes to mind to me would consist of Sexton and Porter at the 1/2, Dylan Windler at the 3 and Nance/Onyeka Okongwu at the 4/5.

We’ll now highlight how that group would do so.