Cavs: 3 potential lineups to try out with Ben Simmons

Cavs: 3 potential lineups try out with Ben Simmons – New starting unit

Darius Garland, Collin Sexton, Ben Simmons, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen

Trading for Ben Simmons means that the Cavs will start the All-Star guard/forward/swiss-army knife. Unless the Cavs also trade someone in their expected starting unit, the team will need to decide who to take out to put Ben Simmons in.

As talented as he is, Simmons’ lack of shooting is real and puts pressure on a lineup not to sacrifice too much shooting at other positions. Simmons could play point guard, a modern-day Magic Johnson role as a “big” point guard (albeit not with a top-10 player manning it), but his size and defensive versatility make him a more valuable fit at one of the forward positions.

The Cavs could look to bring Evan Mobley off the bench and ease him into the league as a rookie, but his perimeter skills and status as the future of this franchise (even with Simmons in tow, Mobley’s ceiling is by far the highest) make him difficult to sit and in fact make him an excellent fit next to Simmons.

Instead, Simmons should replace Isaac Okoro. That’s nothing against Okoro, who battled opposing wings gamely last year, but Simmons is a better perimeter defender who can take on the toughest opposing players. Offensively removing Okoro’s poor shooting keeps the court from being too cramped with Simmons now starting. Darius Garland and Collin Sexton help keep the spacing alive while simultaneously being helped by a thunderous defensive frontcourt of Simmons, Mobley and Jarrett Allen.