The All-Star Weekend is in the rearview, and Thursday night the Cleveland Cavaliers will resume their season. As things stand, they have put up a dominant 44-10 record, first in the Eastern Conference and tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the best record in the entire league.
That puts them in great shape for the stretch run. The Cavaliers are on pace for 67 wins, which would break the franchise record of 66 set by the 2008-09 Cavaliers. Yet more so than wins, the team will be using the rest of the year to prepare for the playoffs.
That includes trying to find the balance between reaching the playoffs rested without being rusty and integrating De'Andre Hunter fully into the team's ecosystem. For head coach Kenny Atkinson, it will involve deciding who is inside of his playoff rotation, and who is not.
Right now the Cavaliers haven't had to make painful cuts to the rotation because they haven't been fully healthy in months. Once everyone returns, Atkinson can play a larger regular season rotation to keep minute totals down. Once the postseason arrives, however, cuts will have to be made.
The four stars on the team are obviously rotation locks, as is newcomer De'Andre Hunter. Whether he starts at the 3 or comes off the bench, Max Strus is likewise a lock as a two-way wing who fits the system perfectly. Add in Ty Jerome, having a fantastic season and serving as the primary backup to both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell.
Finally, we will put "rotation lock" status on Dean Wade, if he is healthy. He has proven himself the perfect role player for this team over the years, and his positional versatility unlocks a variety of lineup combinations for Atkinson, including Wade as a smallball center.
That makes eight rotation locks. It's difficult to play 10 players in the postseason; it's nearly impossible to play 11. That means of the 11 Cavaliers who have been in the regular rotation recently, one or likely two are going to be pushed to the outside. And full apologies to Craig Porter Jr., who deserves a rotation spot but plays this team's deepest position and will only be called upon if there are injuries.
There are 28 games remaining in the regular season. Which Cavaliers need to prove they belong in the playoff rotation?
No. 3: Sam Merrill
Once upon a time, the Cleveland Cavaliers desperately relied upon the movement shooting of Sam Merrill -- as in last year they needed him in the rotation to space the floor around their two non-shooting bigs. This year, the addition of Ty Jerome and De'Andre Hunter add enough high-volume shooting that Merrill is less needed.
That doesn't mean he is not impactful, and his brand of movement shooting continues to be unique on the roster. To Merrill's credit, he has also improved as a defender and is not the "weak link" that other pure movement shooters like Seth Curry or Luke Kennard are. The Cavaliers have been the league's best shooting team this year and Merrill has played an important role in that.
His accuracy this season has been below his career norms; if he can shooting above 40 percent down the stretch he may force Kenny Atkinson's hand to continue playing him come the playoffs.
No. 2: Jaylon Tyson
With so many injuries at wing and forward, and the 2-for-1 trade of Caris LeVert and Georges Niang for De'Andre Hunter, rookie Jaylon Tyson has been called up into the regular rotation.
While he certainly has some growing to do in his decision-making and not being sped up, he has all the physical tools of a high-end defender and he is underrated as a scorer and playmaker. The Cavs have hardly missed a beat slotting him into the rotation in place of Dean Wade, Isaac Okoro or Georges Niang.
He seems the most likely cut from the playoff rotation, but depending on the opponent they may like Tyson's size as another option. If he can prove he is continuing to grow and is ready for tough defensive assignments, there is an outside chance he will stick with a small rotation role. More likely, a strong finish proves he deserves to be next-man-up if Wade or Hunter cannot go for a game.
No. 1: Isaac Okoro
It seems inexplicable that longtime Cavalier Isaac Okoro would not be a part of the postseason rotation if he is healthy, and he is the player of these three most likely to make it. Yet there is also no denying that this Cleveland team is deep enough that they are not completely reliant on Okoro's skillset.
With Dean Wade and De'Andre Hunter providing strong defense on wings and forwards, Max Strus can be an option on opposing guards. That positional optionality means there are other options to defend high-octane guards than Isaac Okoro, options with more shooting utility or other offensive skills.
Yet there is no one on the roster as equipped as Okoro to deal with the likes of Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton and especially Damian Lillard when the playoffs roll around. The shooting and scoring of this Cavaliers team makes it easier to play a limited offensive option like Okoro, and to his credit he has continued to refine his accuracy and makes a real impact as a cutter and in transition.
Okoro needs to first get healthy, but if he can do that and flex his defensive muscles down the stretch -- and even more so, continue shooting accurately -- he has a strong shot to stick around in the playoff rotation.
28 games to go. Then the real season begins.