For this NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers had a solid rotation and starting lineup. Usually, the starting 5 would consist of Darius Garland, Isaac Okoro, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. This lineup provided a good amount of offense and great defense. This lineup registered 225 minutes together on the court and played 19 games together, the most on the team, according to NBA.com’s lineup data. This lineup had an offensive rating of 115.3 and a great defensive rating of 103.7.
The Cavaliers had many different starting lineups, 9 of which logged 40 or more minutes together. The best lineup, statistically, that the Cavs have played at least 40 minutes consisted of Darius Garland, Ricky Rubio, Lauri Markkanen, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. The offensive rating was 128.7. The highest offensive rating for a team in NBA history for a season was the 2020-21 Brooklyn Nets, with a rating of 118.3.
The defensive rating was spectacular as well, having an 88.1 rating, regarding the aforementioned for Cleveland, and the assist-to-turnover ratio was a 3.71. So yeah, this lineup was VERY good.
For the bench, it usually would consist of Rajon Rondo/Brandon Goodwin at the point guard, Caris LeVert at the 2, Cedi Osman/Dean Wade at the 3, Kevin Love/Lamar Stevens at the 4, and Moses Brown manning the middle, late in the season. Collin Sexton would have been a great helper on the offensive end, either being the 6th man or starting at the 2, but he only played 11 games this season, tearing his meniscus early in the season.
Cleveland also has some draft picks in the 2022 NBA Draft, which their first-rounder should be slotted at 14th, unless the Cavs get lucky in the draft. Also, Cleveland has two 2nd-round picks, so Cleveland can be able to get another rotational piece. The Cavaliers also can be able to bring a player in during free agency. In fact, Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com reported (subscription required) that given his relationship with the team, that “increases the chances” of Rubio returning.
Cleveland bringing back Rubio would be a huge success, as Rubio was one of the best bench playmakers for the Cavs this season until he tore his ACL. If the Cavaliers do bring him back, fans will be pleased, as he was a fan favorite. Until then, I will not consider him as a part of the rotation, for the article’s sake.
Starting Point Guard – Darius Garland
This should come as no shock to anyone, as Darius Garland was arguably the best player on the Cavs’ roster this season. Darius Garland deserves a max extension, and chances are, Cleveland will give it to him it seems. In a report earlier this month, Evan Dammarell of Fear The Sword and Right Down Euclid stated that the team “plans” to sign him to a max deal this offseason.
Garland 100% deserves this contract, as he made the All-Star Game only being 22 years old, and should only get better with time. Putting Garland at the point is the obvious move here for Cleveland.
Starting Shooting Guard – Collin Sexton
I am going to assume Collin Sexton will come back to Cleveland this offseason, for the sake of the article. Sexton also reportedly wants to come back to Cleveland. If he returns to Cleveland, he will definitely make the Cavs better, at least on the offensive end. Sexton has career averages of 20.0 points and 3.3 assists per night, also averaging about 32.9 minutes per night his 4 years for the Cavs.
Defensively, Sexton is a negative defender, however. His defensive rating was 105.0 this season in a small sample, but that was 114.0 and 117.0 in the two years prior. Even considering his defense is sub-par, his offense he brings to the team as a scorer is well worth the defensive liabilities he brings on the floor, and in fairness, with others around him like Mobley and Allen, he could still be very impactful in this role.
Starting Small Forward – Isaac Okoro
Either Lauri Markkanen or Isaac Okoro will start in this spot, barring any major trade or signing. Both are viable options to play at the 3, both giving different abilities to this starting spot. Markkanen gives floor spacing and height to the roster, but Okoro brings grit and defense. I decided on Okoro starting at the 3, even though he’s 6’5” and his shooting has been streaky at times. However, the Cavs need defense on the perimeter considering they would have both Darius Garland and Collin Sexton in the backcourt.
I did mention “streaky” as a weakness for Okoro as a shooter, and it shows. In March, he shot 45.2% from behind the arc, shooting about 1.9 3’s a night. This was a great month for Okoro, especially from long range. However, as the month changed to April, his shot was not falling as much, only hitting on 29.4% of his 3 pointers. His defense, though, is the main reason he would start in the lineup.
Usually, Okoro would guard the best perimeter player on the opposing team, doing the best he could to stop them from being a positive offensive player. After the All-Star break, however, Okoro’s shots from the corner were falling. From the corners, Okoro made 17 out of 38 shots there, a solid 44%.
Starting Power Forward – Evan Mobley
Some people think this man should have been Rookie of the Year, and that argument had some validity. However, his defense has been stellar for a rookie, and next year he should be even better. Evan Mobley averaged 1.7 blocks per night, even considering he was not the main rim protector on the team, behind Jarrett Allen.
In the last 10 games, Mobley shot 1/4 from behind the 3-point line, which is not good, and he did not shoot many 3’s this season, showing his limited range. But, his abilities on the defensive end make up more than enough for what his limited shooting touch is at the moment.
Overall, though, Mobley should be even better next season, on offense and defense. If Mobley can develop a jumpshot to extend his range, then Cleveland’s roster would be even more dangerous than it was this year.
Starting Center – Jarrett Allen
After being acquired from the Brooklyn Nets for basically a first-round pick via the Milwaukee Bucks, which won’t be a great first-round pick anyways, Allen has been spectacular. At the time of the deal, we had Andre Drummond on the team, and we eventually parted ways with him to make room for the rising star in Allen. Allen has been one of the best rim-protectors in the league.
If Allen played enough games, he would be ranked top 20 in blocks per game. Also, even though he played only 56 games this season, he had the 23rd-most total blocks this season, at a total of 75.
His offense has been pretty good as well. Allen averaged 1.06 points points per post up, which put him in the 78th percentile, higher than Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo. He also shot 55.6% from post plays, making him better than most players.
Backup Point Guard – Brandon Goodwin
I’m going to be honest here, I really don’t see Cleveland not bringing back Goodwin, nor do I think Goodwin does not want to be back in Cleveland. Goodwin was a very good backup point guard, playing with intensity on every play, on offense and defense. Goodwin has played with the Denver Nuggets, then Atlanta Hawks for two years, and now, being one of the primary ball-handlers off the bench for the Cavs this season.
Like I mentioned earlier, Cleveland may bring back Rubio, but I’m not 100% sure. Goodwin seems more likely to come back more so than Rubio, in my opinion.
Also, I doubt Rajon Rondo will return to Cleveland, as he will turn 37 next year, and I’m not sure if he will retire this year or not. If he decides not to retire, I don’t know who would pick up him, or where Rondo would want to go anyway.
Goodwin averaged 4.8 points, 2.5 assists, and 1.9 rebounds a night. Not numbers that jump off of a page, but he only played about 13.9 minutes a night. Against the Minnesota Timberwolves in February, he dropped 17 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals with 0 turnovers, and all of this for an undrafted, two-way player.
Backup Shooting Guard – Caris LeVert
I do believe Caris LeVert did not have enough time to get comfortable with J.B. Bickerstaff’s system. LeVert was a great player for both Brooklyn and the Indiana Pacers, but didn’t play so well in Cleveland.
This may be because he came off the bench for most of his games, something he has not done in a while, since the last time was in the beginning of the 2020-21 season, where he came off the bench for the Nets before being traded to Indiana. Or maybe it was that he was putting up good numbers on a bad team for the Pacers, such things happen more than you’d expect.
LeVert will probably come off the bench, in my opinion, until he shows signs of a resurgence in his offensive game. Until then, I expect Sexton to be taking the starting role, if Sexton is here next season. If Sexton is not back next season, I expect LeVert or the next player listed to be starting at the 2.
Backup Small Forward – Lauri Markkanen
Lauri Markkanen might be the starting small forward come next season, but in my opinion, Okoro should be given that spot. Will it happen? Probably not. The modern NBA is centered on floor spacing, and Okoro doesn’t scream floor spacing as much as Markkanen. However, if they have Markkanen on the bench, that would give Cleveland a very good bench, with LeVert, Markkanen, and more.
Markkanen has been a solid starter for the Cavs this season, averaging 14.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. However, when Cleveland played against the Hawks in the play-in game, Markkanen switched on to Trae Young when a pick-and-roll was set, and Markkanen’s lateral quickness was not enough to stop Young from scoring. However, his defense is not as bad as it may seem, as the NBA’s average defensive rating is a 110.6, while Markkanen’s is a 110.2 for this season, making him about an average defender, which is okay, considering the other defensive players the Cavs have on their roster.
Backup Power Forward – Lamar Stevens/Dean Wade
I could not really decide on who would be the backup power forward, since both are viable options and both will probably play minutes next season. Writing this article really pains me more than you’d think, even if my articles have no impact on J.B. Bickerstaff’s rotation. I really like Cedi Osman, but there was really no room in the rotation for him.
Anyway, Lamar Stevens is one of my favorite players on this roster, since his intensity is always really high and he always seems hyped to play. Stevens may not be lights out from 3, or be anything fancy, but he fills his role well, as a high energy defender off of the bench, who can cut to the basket sometimes as well.
As for Dean Wade, he’s your prototypical stretch 4. Why Cleveland played him at the small forward this season, I still don’t know. In my opinion, his lateral quickness is not enough for him to play at the 3, but that’s just my opinion. Having him on the floor on offense really helps, as it spreads out the Cavaliers’ offense and lets the ball handler get the offense flowing.
Backup Center – Kevin Love
I expect Kevin Love or Caris LeVert to be the 6th man next year, and I think it most likely will be Love. Love has been one of the best bench players in the league this year, providing instant offense with his range for a big man. As of now, the two centers who we had on the roster, besides Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley, are set to feasibly be leaving in free agency.
Ed Davis, our one center, was not a player you could play more than 15 minutes a night, and rarely played, only appearing in 31 games, playing in 6.5 minutes a night. The other center is Moses Brown, a player we signed near the end of the season for some interior presence, since both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were injured at one point.
Love is not a rim protector, even in the slightest, but if Cleveland does not sign a backup big man (which I think they will), then Love will be the backup center. With both Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen being the Cavs’ starting big men, Love does not have to be a rim protector, since both Mobley and Allen are elite in that category. Love just needs to provide offense and spacing to the roster once he comes off the bench.
Cleveland’s roster has a lot of players who deserve minutes, but I don’t expect Cleveland to run out with a huge rotation of players, so this is just my opinion on who should get the starting and backup spots.