Cavs have a whopping 5 options to start at shooting guard
Cavs options to start at shooting guard: Ricky Rubio
This final option is a bit out of left field, but hear me out first. Who was the constant in all of the Cavs’ best lineups early last season? Ricky Rubio. The Cavs especially took off when Rubio and Darius Garland shared the court together. Lineups with both Rubio and Garland were +16.2 points per 100 possessions overall, in the 99th percentile for lineups, over a solid 1,027 possession sample size. The Cavs thrived with Rubio.
When he returns to the lineup after rehabbing his knee injury, he will boost the Cavs’ play. That will almost certainly include some minutes with Rubio sharing the backcourt with Garland. What if the Cavs lean into it and just start Rubio altogether?
The fit is excellent, as Rubio has enough size to take on either guard position and his passing set Garland up for remarkable shots. Could the Cavs comfortably start Ricky Rubio and Garland together, even if it meant ostracizing another younger member of the family:?
Next. 3 free agents Cavs can sign to a max contract in 2023. dark
The final answer is probably no, as head coach JB Bickerstaff liked bringing Rubio off of the bench last season. Yet whether it’s Rubio, a vet or the rookie, the Cavs are flush with options at the 2. Who will start at shooting guard for the Cavaliers?