3 reasons Dean Wade should start at small forward for Cavs

3 reasons Dean Wade should start for Cavs: Defense

The Cavaliers have a defensive phenom on their hands in Evan Mobley, and when you pair him with an excellent rim protector in Jarrett Allen you get a top-tier defensive backline that provides the foundation for a great defense.

Yet that foundation is eroded a bit if the other three players are all subpar defenders, and that’s the reality the Cavs are starting at if they start Caris LeVert at the 2 and Lauri Markkanen at the 3. That doesn’t mean Lauri is a pushover, but he’s not a value-add on defense. Dean Wade definitely is.

He also has the size and strength to defend combo forwards and big wings on the opposing team. Mobley is amazing in space but would be maximized in a role where he can provide help, so starting Wade allows the Cavs to stick him on the team’s best perimeter creator. Playing the likes of Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or Jimmy Butler leaves Markkanen in a tough spot; Wade can step in and take them on.

He’s not a lockdown guy on the perimeter, and he can’t stay with the fastest guards, but he has better foot speed than Markkanen and is solid enough against the best big creators the league has to offer. He’s also strong enough that the Cavs can still switch some of the actions between bigger players and he can survive inside for a time. Especially if the Cavs move away from Isaac Okoro at the 2 and go with LeVert or Sexton, they need a better defensive option at the 3. Dean Wade is that guy.