Cavs: Ranking the 5 best 3-point shooters on the roster
Cavs: Ranking the 5 best 3-point shooters on the roster – Lauri Markkanen
When the Cleveland Cavaliers executed a sign and trade for Lauri Markkanen last month, he immediately became the best shooter on their roster. At 7’0″ he is a unique player, a high-volume marksman who towers over the competition. He instantly brings the Cavs a powerful element they can use to raise the value of their other players.
The team can no longer count on Kevin Love to be healthy and available, let alone make an impact. Their other options at power forward and center were mostly offensive minuses, and certainly not scare-the-defense shooters. Enter Markkanen, who can pair with either Jarrett Allen or Evan Mobley to provide floor spacing alongside their defense and interior work. Whatever you think about the value or asset management of signing Markkanen alongside the other two, the on-court fit is obvious.
Markkanen his 40.2 percent of his 3-pointers last year. It was by far the highest mark of his career, and there should rightfully be some concern his shooting could regress. Yet to examine Markkanen’s form, his height and his projected role with the Cavs is to be optimistic going into next season that Markkanen’s shot trends more to last year’s number than the previous years.
If Markkanen is an elite shooter, it spaces the court for his rim-attacking teammates, and it also makes it easier to play a non-shooter like Isaac Okoro or Lamar Stevens. If he’s not, the Cavs have egg on their face paying so much for a player with an inconsistent track record. The money is on Markkanen keeping the shooting gains and improving in other areas, but it’s far from a certainty.
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There are some significant non-shooters in the rotation, and Evan Mobley will need to improve quickly in that area if he is to fill a frontcourt with Jarrett Allen and Isaac Okoro. That being said, this roster has some very talented shooters around those three, including their starting backcourt and the two players likely to back up Mobley and Allen. Markkanen leads the way for a group of young players who can shoot, which is good news for the future.