The turnaround to the Cleveland Cavaliers 2021-22 season was impressive for many reasons, including the fact that they got good production from several players that primarily came off the bench over the season. While Kevin Love and Cedi Osman were used a lot throughout the season there were a few other players that included Lamar Stevens, Dean Wade and Caris LeVert who also had big moments during the season that helped the team too.
These players should get a bigger role next season and that could mean a run into the playoffs next year. Why they weren’t used more in key moments of games this past season could have altered their season this year where the team fell a game short of reaching the playoffs.
LeVert came over to the team late in a trade with the Indiana Pacers and was still getting his feet wet this latter part of the season.
Stevens and Wade both are excellent defenders and if used better by Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff in the future could help this Cavs team more.
Much of these projections for next season rely on their head coach being willing to change his game plan and that might be asking too much. One major flaw in Bickerstaff’s decisions with these players was he wasn’t consistent with their playing time or when and how he used them in games. There were games Stevens would step in and have an outstanding game and then that would be followed by seeing him ride the bench. The same could be said for Wade, who would step in, even as a starter but then for stretches of games be delegated to the bench and you’d be wondering where did he go?
Did the head coach just forget he had these players who were helping the team win? To be frank, it was just weird all season and annoying to witness.
We’ll take a look at all three of these players and why they should get a bigger role for the team. They all certainly should get one but like I’ve been saying a lot will ride on their head coach and his understanding what type of players he has.