Cavs bench expectation #2: Find their sixth man
In the previous slide, one thing that was talked about was Kevin Porter Jr.’s scoring and playmaking abilities. This skill set that he possesses makes him the best option to be the Cavaliers’ sixth man until head coach J.B. Bickerstaff sees that a move into the starting lineup should happen.
To have a competent bench, the sixth man has to be able to play well both on and off the ball, and Porter Jr., or KPJ for short, possesses these abilities. Looking at the Cavs once again, the last time they had a top 15 bench was in the 2018-19 season, when Jordan Clarkson was their sixth man.
Clarkson averaged 16.8 points per game off the bench, providing the Cleveland Cavaliers with an instant spark that they needed. Clarkson’s abilities to work on and off the ball made him a great candidate for this role and we see now just how much it paid off for him and the Wine and Gold.
With KPJ missing a good portion of training camp and not appearing in preseason due mostly to legal matters, which are seemingly now behind him, and Bickerstaff still looking to experiment with the Collin Sexton-Darius Garland backcourt, KPJ may spend a lot of time as a bench player.
The Cavaliers have a nice bench core that fits his playstyle, though. If KPJ were to play a bunch on-ball, the Cavs have guys stated above in Osman, Windler and Dotson who all have good-great catch-and-shoot abilities.
Conversely, if KPJ were to play off-ball as a cutter or spot-up shooter in certain situations, they have Exum who has experience as a facilitator. And for context, Porter placed in the 80th percentile in spot-up scoring situations in 2019-20, per Synergy Sports.
Again, as stated already, this bench unit’s success will ride on how Porter Jr. looks in his second season. His impact on the court will be big for this team wherever he plays and it will be exciting to see KPJ perform once again.