Ranking the Cavs’ top 5 players ahead of the 2022-23 season
By Will Holtz
The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t make the big splash in the offseason (or at least not yet) that some fans had hoped for. Whether that be making a trade for another starting-caliber player or simply re-signing Collin Sexton long-term, the Cavs were relatively quiet. While that might make for a boring offseason, don’t let it distract you from the fact that Cleveland is more than ready to make another leap this season.
The Cavaliers enter this upcoming season with one of the best young cores in the NBA. Surrounding that core is a plethora of talented vets willing to commit to their role. There are plenty of reasons to be excited about this next season’s Cavaliers.
Last season, I made a mid-season list ranking the top five Cavs up to that point. Now, as the offseason winds down and the Cavs seemingly have their roster in place, or at least mostly, let’s see if anything has changed as we take a look at the top five Cavaliers players ahead of the 2022-23 season.
#5 – Caris LeVert
The last flashy move the Cavs made was trading for Caris LeVert last season around the trade deadline. While his numbers in the wine and gold weren’t as consistent as one would like, neither was his role.
LeVert was brought in to bridge the ball-handling and scoring gap after Sexton and Ricky Rubio went down. This is something he excels at, he just wasn’t able to get warmed up considering the lack of continuity in his playing time.
The 27-year-old came off the bench in his Cavs debut, then started the next game, then came off the bench the next eight games, then started the last nine games of the season. While injuries to himself and others played a factor, this is not the recipe for a consistent player.
Off the bench last season, LeVert averaged 11.1 points per game and 3.2 assists on 38.6% from the field. As a starter, his scoring increased to 18.1 points per game, his playmaking increased to 4.5 assists per game and his shooting percentage increased to 45.2% from the field. While much of his stats are expected to increase with more minutes, his efficiency increase is undeniable.
Caris LeVert is a really good player when he gets the opportunity. If J.B. Bickerstaff can figure out his role, LeVert could prove to be one of the best players on the team with his ability to score off the dribble at a high clip and finish strong around the rim. Look for him to make a bigger impact this coming season than last.