The Cleveland Cavaliers have the makings of a championship contender. They have a top eight offensive and defensive rating, and they are also second in the NBA in net rating, with the Boston Celtics holding the first spot. This is all due to the depth that they have on the roster from top to bottom.
From the two offensive linchpins in Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland to the towers of terror in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen to the rugged defenders in Isaac Okoro and Lamar Stevens, the Cavaliers have a lot of different lineups they can deploy come playoff time. They have the ability to go big or play small-ball, depending on the matchup and the circumstances of any given game.
Here, we’ll emphasize three lineups the Cavs should use throughout games in the playoffs, with varying looks depending on the situation.
Lineup No. 1: Donovan Mitchell-Caris LeVert-Dean Wade-Evan Mobley-Jarrett Allen
This lineup has only played 54 minutes together this season, but the numbers have been stellar. This group has a 92 defensive rating and a 116 offensive rating, giving them a net rating of 24. This lineup is reminiscent of the three-big lineups the Cavs ran last season, and has a nice mix of offensive and defensive versatility.
Mitchell is the primary creator here, but with the improvement from Caris LeVert in post-All-Star break play, these two can be a problem for any team if they are both on their game. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have been an unstoppable defensive duo and are both efficient offensive players. The wild card here is Dean Wade. Wade had largely faded out of the rotation recently, but given the Cavs need for defense and shooting at the wing spot, he is one of their better options. He also gives them some needed size and pairing him with Mobley and Allen on the defensive end will cause problems for teams.
If Wade can space the floor effectively on offense and stay out of foul trouble, this lineup can be great for the Cavaliers to deploy when they need size and defense to complement the two dynamic playmakers in Mitchell and LeVert.