Why Cavaliers signing Dillon Brooks might be crazy enough to work

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Isaac Okoro and Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers. Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /

Signing Dillon Brooks might work because the Cavaliers need him

Walk out onto the streets of Cleveland and ask any Cavaliers fan what the team’s biggest need is. They might say “for Jarrett Allen to get a rebound” but the vast majority are going to say one thing: the fifth starter.

NBA podcaster Nate Duncan calls it the search for the “5th Beetle”, the final piece in a lineup that can withstand the rigors of the playoffs. The Cavs have four stars and then a collection of ill-fitting parts to try and build out the rotation. Many of those players will be better next season, but the fact remains that the Cavs need to find a starter at small forward to glue the starters together.

Isaac Okoro is too small and can’t shoot; Dean Wade lost his shot too. Cedi Osman is merely average at everything, while Dylan Windler never got healthy. Danny Green is too old to rely on. That is where Dillon Brooks comes in.

Brooks is exactly what the Cavs need, at least on paper. They need a defensive stopper who doesn’t kill their spacing. Brooks isn’t perfect in that regard, but he is certainly closer than Okoro. Defensively he has the speed and “slither” to stick with faster guards and the strength to hold up against most combo forwards. He will receive votes this year for All-Defense and may even land one of the spots. His competitive fire would also be welcome on a team that tends to be more laid-back.

His shot isn’t a weapon, but it doesn’t have to be a major weakness either. Brooks hit just 32.6 percent of his 3-pointers this season, but he hit 37.2 percent of his wide-open 3s. The problem is that more than half of his attempts were guarded, and he hit less than 29 percent on those shots. If he cleans up his shot selection, his combination of scoring and defense would fit this Cavs roster like a glove.

That’s all fine and good, but the Grizzlies didn’t leak such a strong statement because Brooks takes a few too many contested jumpers. Brooks’ demeanor is a problem; why should the Cavs take that on?