The Cleveland Cavaliers have a new weapon in their arsenal to deploy. After playing out most of the season with an open 15th and final roster spot, the Cavs finally filled it last week by signing three-time NBA champion Danny Green.
Green is a 6’6″ wing who fits perfectly the archetype of “3-and-D” making him a valuable commodity for any team to sign. At his best, Green can bomb away from beyond the 3-point line, lock up opposing wings, and play some of the best transition defense of anyone in league history. His signing with the Cavaliers made too much sense.
There is certainly a downside, however, as Green is 35 years old and coming off of a torn ACL. The Cavs shouldn’t, and won’t, throw him directly into the fire of playing 30 minutes a game as a starter. Isaac Okoro has been dynamic in that role for the past 2 months, and Green needs a smaller role this year to round into game shape before the playoffs begin.
What lineups should the Cleveland Cavaliers use with Danny Green?
How should the Cavs be deploying Green over the next two months? Here are three lineups the Cavaliers should use with their new weapon to best maximize his talent and test out how he fits with the rest of the rotation.
The Cavaliers can deploy Danny Green with the starters
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchel, Danny Green, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
The most obvious place to slot in Danny Green is alongside the other four stars on the team; the “Green as a starter” lineup. This swaps Green in for Isaac Okoro, playing between the two dynamic guards and the two defensive bigs.
This is a natural place for Green to fit in; defensively, he can take on the most formidable perimeter option on the other team, although he probably isn’t the best fit on speedier point guards. He isn’t large enough to switch with Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, but he can check most combo forwards in a pinch.
On offense, Green’s floor spacing helps to open up space around the two bigs. He is a career 39.9 percent 3-point shooter, hoisting 6.8 3-point attempts per 36 minutes for his career. For all that Okoro has improved as a shooter this season, he is still only taking 3.8 attempts per 36; Dean Wade is at 5.0, and Caris LeVert is at 5.1.
If Green can get back to playing at a similar level to his final healthy season, this is the best closing lineup for the Cavaliers in the playoffs. The Cavs should try it out from time to time down the stretch and see how Green fits in with the other four.
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.
The Cavaliers can use Danny Green in a shooting bonanza lineup
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Cedi Osman, Danny Green, Jarrett Allen
If the last lineup was an option to ramp up the defensive pressure, this group will turn up the heat on offense. While the loss of Kevin Love hurts the shooting versatility of the Cavaliers, they still have options to space the court and stretch opposing defenses toward the breaking point.
This group will certainly struggle on defense, hoping to funnel action into the paint and trust in Jarrett Allen to clean it up at the rim. They will give up points, but the plan will be to score them even faster on the other end of the court. Donovan Mitchell can handle and pull up for 3-pointers to keep the defense focused on him, while Darius Garland, Cedi Osman and Danny Green are whirling around screens and backpicks to get open for long-range bombs.
It’s the sort of offensive attack that teams like the Golden State Warriors have utilized to great effect. The Cavs don’t have shooters to the level of the Splash Brothers, but they aren’t schlubs either, and this lineup will score in bunches. Green’s high-volume shooting and defensive versatility raise the offensive ceiling while helping to prop up the defensive floor.
The most important factor for Green’s impact on the Cavaliers this postseason is whether he is healthy and back to his former level of play. If so, or if he is at least close, then these are the kinds of unique lineups that head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and the Cavs can use to maximize his versatility and face whatever comes their way.