3 things Dylan Windler can gain from G League assignment

Dylan Windler, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Dylan Windler, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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Cavs
Dylan Windler, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

The Cleveland Cavaliers had three first-round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft, and came away with three players they thought could be long-term building blocks. Darius Garland has captured that dream in becoming an All-Star, while Kevin Porter Jr. has shown that talent without bringing the needed maturity and is now playing in Houston.

The third player, Dylan Windler, has been the odd man out, the player furthest away from being a reliable starter. The biggest reason for that has been the litany of injuries he has struggled with. He missed his entire rookie season with a leg injury, then played just 31 games in 2020-21 due to multiple injuries, and has played in just 38 this season. Leg, knee, ankle, back, hip, head injuries – an unending list.

Dylan Windler has been assigned to the G League for the past few weeks. What can he gain from his time with the Cleveland Charge?

The frequent injuries have certainly played a part in stagnating his development, but the reality is that to this point in his career Windler is not a reliable rotation player. His skillset offers a tantalizing combination of size, ball-handling and shooting on the wing, but he just hasn’t been able to bring those to bear with consistency. Even now that he is healthy he has fallen to the back end of the bench.

As such, with Windler out of the rotation, the organization made the decision to move him to the G League for an extended assignment. Windler has now appeared in six games with the Cleveland Charge, and it doesn’t seem like there is a plan to move him back to the Cavs anytime soon. When asked about the assignment, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff framed it as a chance for Windler to get playing time:

What can Windler gain from this G League assignment? Here are three ways he can redeem the time and look to get his career back on track.