3 lineups the Cavaliers should deploy with Danny Green

The Cavaliers can put Danny Green in a lockdown unit

Ricky Rubio, Isaac Okoro, Danny Green, Dean Wade, Evan Mobley

Finding a healthy balance in an NBA lineup is important, and especially in the modern scoring environment leaning into offensive punch is the best path to finding a successful group to deploy. With that being said, this Cavaliers team is built on a league-best defense, and thinking through unique lineups to throw out and slow down opponents is a useful exercise.

While the Cavs’ best defensive lineups will come with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen sharing the court, Danny Green can be a part of a smaller, switch-heavy group that can swarm opponents and generate turnovers and poor shots. With Mobley as the anchor, this group can switch nearly every opponent action and completely smother their offensive plays.

Green’s combination of size and length makes him a great swing player in this group. He can switch small-small pick-and-rolls with either Rubio or Okoro, passing off perimeter creators and closing off any openings. He can also survive switching in the other direction, battling briefly with larger players before a double or scram switch comes.

On offense, this group has enough shooting that opposing defenses can’t completely wall off the paint, but it will definitely struggle to score in the halfcourt. Getting out in transition will be key, and otherwise, they will need Rubio and Mobley to hit cutters and open shooters as small pockets come available. This shouldn’t be a frequent lineup for the Cavs to use, but it’s an interesting combination to really stifle an opponent.