Position Battles: Dean Wade vs Lamar Stevens for Cavs’ backup wing

Cons of playing Lamar Stevens

Anyone who watched the Cavs this season knows Lamar Stevens is not a shooter in any means. He shot 27.7% from 3 this season and only 26.3% on corner-3 attempts. His mid-range shots hit at a 44.0% clip, which is below league average. He also shot 69.3% from the restricted area, which is okay, but considering Stevens is known as a finisher, could be better.

He only got 2.6 rebounds per night, which in part reflects his low minute totals and 6’6″ frame, but also should be higher given his strength and pedigree, especially if he is going to hold up at small forward and power forward. Stevens also had a +/- of -0.6 per game, meaning the team was a bit worse whenever he was on the floor compared to their opponents.

Opponents also shot 37.7% from 3 when Stevens was on the floor, and opponents also have a +/- of 1.9 when Stevens was on the floor. Advanced stats do not really like Stevens, and even hustle stats do not like him that much either. Per 36 minutes, Stevens deflects 1.8 passes, and recovers 0.5 loose balls, below average on the Cavs’ roster.

In my opinion, both players are definitely capable of playing around 15-20 minutes per night, but for the sake of the article, I will only pick one. In my opinion, Dean Wade is the better option for the Cavs for next season. Advanced stats like him more and he provides more floor spacing to a team ranking in the bottom half of 3-point percentage. The Cavs currently have a solid roster defensively, ranking in 5th overall in defensive rating in the league, so Stevens isn’t needed as much as it may seem on the defensive end.

All in all, both players probably will get playing time, but in my opinion, Dean Wade is the better player and deserves more minutes.