Cleveland Cavaliers: 2 goals for Dylan Windler in 2021-22

The Cleveland Cavaliers haven’t gotten much out of Dylan Windler through his first two seasons. That’s largely been because of injury issues, as Cavs fans know all too well.

Windler missed his rookie year due to complications involing a stress reaction in his lower left leg that was eventually deemed a stress fracture, and last year, the injury bug struck again.

Windler only appeared in 31 games for the Wine and Gold in what was his de facto rookie campaign thanks to a fourth left metacarpal fracture early on, and then a knee injury eventually ended his season later.

Windler was originally sidelined beginning in late March in relation to what was designated as knee soreness, but it was an issue that wouldn’t subside, and his season was eventually shut down again. In late April he had left knee surgery to address what was then “ongoing tendinopathy concerns,” which was another rough break.

On the plus side, even while it’s been tough sledding for Windler in these first two seasons, as he stressed in an interview last week with Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, he is reportedly on schedule with his rehab. And the hope is for him to be full-go at the beginning of training camp. Although Windler has not had the go-ahead to participate in 5-on-5, full contact yet, so we’ll see.

Windler did show positive signs last season, particularly with his finishing as a cutter, as a rebounder and as a team defender, but as he admitted to Fedor, Windler does know that this next season, he has to show he truly belongs. That’s simply how it is.

He does have plenty of shooting potential if he can stay healthy; that’s a key question, however.

So along those lines, what are two key goals for Windler for the Cavs for next season? We’ll weigh in here.

The first has to do with cementing his place in Cleveland’s rotation and being an impact shooter.