Lamar Stevens: The Cavaliers’ Junkyard Underdog

What’s next for Lamar Stevens?

Guys with Lamar Stevens’ combination of athletic gifts and skill level rarely fail at the NBA level. It is just a matter of being patient with their development and finding the right fit. Henry Woo Jr is confident that place can be in Cleveland.

"“As far as style of play and what the Cavs are asking out of their wings, Lamar fits that to a tee. He can defend multiple positions at a high level, has size to play multiple positions, and offensively can play out in transition, be a cutter off of DG and Mitchell, and must make the wide open 3s that will fall into his lap…” – Henry Woo Jr."

With the core that Cleveland has in place (Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and theoretically Caris LeVert), they are primarily looking for wings that can fill in the gaps between their perimeter and interior players. Kevin Love, Dean Wade, and Cedi Osman have proven to support the core in a valuable way this season.

While Isaac Okoro has been given more opportunity due to his pedigree coming into the NBA, Lamar Stevens, Dylan Windler, and him are fighting for the chance to prove that they can add their name to that list.

It’s important to note that Stevens is not a finished product. He is putting in the work on his outside shot and his role within the team, but Woo made mention that hammering down his mid-range game remains a point of emphasis and refinement in their training sessions.

That spark of offensive flair is what makes him unique. How many lockdown defenders can calmly navigate through traffic and rip off a couple counters before rising and striking a pull-up from the elbow? When your best defenders can give you some substantial stuff to work with offensively, that is extremely valuable for an NBA team.

I asked Henry Woo Jr for some player comparisons he has in mind for his client. While he acknowledged that finding 1:1 comps for this guy is difficult, due to his rare offensive skill set, he listed the following as guys he sees shades of Lamar in: Mikal Bridges, Caleb Martin, Terrance Mann, and Norman Powell.

All these players have struggled with their jumper for a time in their NBA career, but managed to round out their games so that they could provide something of value both offensively and defensively. If there is anyone who has shown themselves as a good bet to put in the work and come away with success, then it is Lamar Stevens.

"“He is a big reason the Cavs have that ‘junkyard dog’ mentality with how hard he plays every night and the winning plays he makes just by being who he is. He brings a lot of intangibles that are just special … because of how hard he plays! I hope it works out in Cleveland, but I know he will do well in whatever situation he finds himself in.” – Henry Woo Jr."

Lamar Stevens will patiently wait for his opportunity to burst onto the scene in Cleveland once again, just like he did last season. Until then, he will keep working. To become a better person. A better teammate. A better player.

He’s more than a junkyard dog. He’s a hidden talent just waiting to be realized.

Thanks to Henry Woo Jr.

I’d like to extend one last thank you to Henry Woo Jr. for giving me the opportunity to pepper him with some questions about his first-hand experiences with one of my favorite players in the NBA. Just like Lamar Stevens, Woo is attempting to solidify his standing and ascend among the ranks of NBA trainers.

I’m certainly rooting for him and his future successes now as well, and you can, too. Be sure to find him on Twitter at @hwoo12 and on Instagram at @henrywoojr.