3 lineups featuring the Cleveland Cavaliers’ newcomers

Lineup No. 3: Garland-Strus-LeVert-Niang-Mobley

This lineup could be one Cleveland goes to for some energy and to push pace in games.

Garland, LeVert and Strus all move well without the ball in their hands, and the Cavaliers could deploy Mobley and Niang as meaningful handoff distributors to get those players deep shooting looks, few-dribble pull-ups, or to get downhill.

Mobley and Niang are both good decision-makers as handoff players, and in Niang’s case, he could occasionally utilize a Kevin Love-esque two-dribble three to counter those handoffs from time to time. Mobley, conversely, could get to drives himself, and get some mismatches here and there from faking those handoffs in those sequences.

What could make this particular lineup an intriguing one, though, is how Cleveland could look to push the ball more in transition when the opportunities present themselves, with Garland and LeVert as playmakers, but also with the others being great off-ball players.

The ultra-polished movement shooter in Strus has a knack for getting to the corners in transition, Mobley runs the floor especially well for a big, and Niang as a trailing shooter could be deadly with this group.

Generally, with Garland and LeVert’s passing instincts and their threat as drivers, the others in this lineup could get tons of open looks.

Now, realistically, there would be defensive questions with this lineup, but with the offensive capabilities and spacing here, it would definitely be one to consider.

It’ll be fun to see how the Cavaliers do use their new acquisitions this next season, and how they should hopefully make a difference then and in the playoffs, when Cleveland should be better off with some new faces and more experience under their belt.