The Cavaliers need their role players to step up when called upon

The Cavs’ role pieces are unproven, whereas that’s not the case with other top East teams

Before the trade deadline, the Cavs chose not to make a trade for another playmarker to complement the Garland-Mitchell tandem. Josh Hart, Cam Reddish (Reddish and Hart got traded for each other), Kelly Oubre Jr., and Kyle Kuzma all could’ve been in the Wine and Gold. However, the Cavs stood pat and felt comfortable with the roster they had constructed. Players like LeVert, Osman, Okoro, and Stevens may determine how far the Cavs go in the playoffs this year.

The top-three contenders in the Eastern Conference have guys on their roster who they can turn to when their star players are struggling or unable to play. The Milwaukee Bucks can turn to Jrue Holiday, Khris Middleton, or Brook Lopez to step up and provide big performances when called upon. The Philadelphia 76ers have Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, and PJ Tucker who have the ability to step up and fill in the void. The Celtics have Marcus Smart, Al Horford, Grant Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, and Derrick White who can provide big performances when necessary.

A big reason the Bucks, Celtics, and 76ers are considered championship contenders is because of the proven supporting casts they have around their star players. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers don’t have a proven supporting cast around their star players yet. They have players who can turn into reliable complementary guys like Evan Mobley (a star defensively, though), Okoro, LeVert, Stevens, and Osman, but they’re obviously not at the level of a Middleton, Maxey, or a Brogdon yet.

Should Cleveland face Boston, Milwaukee, or Philadelphia, Garland and Mitchell will garner a majority of the attention from the opposing defenses.

As such, the role players need to step up when called upon so that the Cavaliers can push the Celtics, Bucks, or 76ers to a Game 7.