Cavs: We should see shot-making abilities on full display for young guns

The Cleveland Cavaliers should be in better shape when it comes to the shooting of their key perimeter pieces next season.

Looking at next season when it comes to likely key current Cleveland Cavaliers young perimeter players, Cleveland knows what they have in Collin Sexton. Sexton is an ever-improving scorer at all three levels, and he led the Cavs in scoring at 20.8 points per game in 2019-20.

Plus, Sexton really had it going leading into the NBA season’s novel coronavirus-induced hiatus. In his last 33 games active, Sexton had 23.5 points per game, and even hit 44.4 percent of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game.

So how about a few other young pieces, looking at next season aside from Collin, though?

In terms of other youngsters that come to mind on the perimeter in this sense, Darius Garland, Kevin Porter Jr. and Dylan Windler are the others that look to be very notable shot-makers, in terms of both off-the-bounce and off-the-catch. Next season, I firmly believe we’ll see each of them have a significant impact in the shot-making realm, too.

We should see the shot-making on full display for those aforementioned Cleveland Cavaliers young guns.

In his rookie campaign, admittedly, Garland was somewhat underwhelming in the scoring sense, with 12.3 points per outing and him only shooting 40.1 percent. We did see plenty of flashes for Garland, though, and with his handle, there is immense potential for him as a shooter off-the-bounce.

Garland hitting 46.7 percent of his driving floaters and 46.6 percent of his step back attempts as a rookie, per NBA.com’s shooting data, was a positive in that realm, also.

Additionally, Garland reportedly looked shiftier at the Cavs recent in-market bubble team workouts, as KJG’s Grant Puskar demonstrated. And next season, him being able to come on in after a very productive offseason and not having to rehab from a prior meniscus injury at Vanderbilt should pay dividends for him.

I’d think we’ll see Garland much more capable as a scorer and could very well generate separation more consistently off-the-bounce, and hopefully, he’ll be much more confident in the scoring sense. His passing feel, and much more so in the 2020 portion of the past season, seemed to be much improved, too.

From there, while him having an effective field goal shooting clip of only 34.0 percent, per NBA.com’s shot tracking data, was far from stellar, Kevin Porter Jr. had his moments as a pull-up shooter as a rookie. Him showcasing high level finishing and driving ability, and him being able to create space seemingly at will at times, too, leads me to believe he’ll get it going with more experience as an off-the-bounce shooter as well.

Along with that, Porter, whose passing was a positive as well, has been really working on extending his shooting range, and him having a bit higher release should only aid him as a pull-up/side step/step back threat, in particular.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

Lastly, I’m excited to see how Dylan Windler can help out the Cleveland Cavaliers as a potential knockdown shooter.

No, Windler didn’t play at all in 2019-20, due to complications involving a stress reaction in his left leg, but Windler participated in the Cavs recent voluntary team bubble workouts, and seemingly made quite and impression in the 5-on-5 runs.

Windler, if he’s ready to roll and is healthy next season, which I believe he very well will be, could bring a big-time shooting element, both off-the-catch and off-the-bounce.

Windler hit 40.6 percent of his 534 career three-point shot attempts at Belmont, and with his parking lot range, and pull-up and also step back shooting polish, realistically in a key bench role, he should establish himself as a versatile and ever-dangerous shooter for Cleveland.

Moreover, when it comes to at least Garland and Windler, and perhaps I could see Collin Sexton to some extent with how he’s progressed so rapidly as a perimeter shooter, I could see those pieces, to go with Kevin Love, as recipients of relocation looks from Larry Nance Jr., too.

And that sort of thing could open up its share of driving floater and/or pull-up opportunities for Sexton and Garland as a counter after coming around screens as well.

Alright so, in any case, while I can’t say at this point as far as the exact minutes-share for Garland, KPJ and Windler, really, especially in Windler’s case, with Cedi Osman in the fold (albeit not as a long-term starting 3), and with how Cleveland could draft a wing, one thing is certain I believe.

It’s clear that the shot-making abilities of these key young guns for Cleveland should be on full-display next season, factoring in how this extended offseason has seemingly allowed them to really work on their games, and with Windler is a very good place medically.

Looking onward, Garland, Sexton, KPJ and Windler are going to be a fun foursome of Cavs perimeter players to watch next season and moving forward. That’s even more so with how they seem to be promising shooters off-the-catch and with the handling capabilities of each.

Hopefully, each of them, in-rhythm, will be looking to get to their spots for quality shots, and playing off the likes of Kevin Love and Nance could pay dividends for them in the off-ball sense, too.