Sam Merrill has had quite the NBA journey. In 2021, he became an NBA champion with the Milwaukee Bucks. After that, he bounced around the G League, hoping for a shot on an NBA roster. The Cleveland Cavaliers gave him that chance during the 2022-23 season, and Merrill hasn’t looked back.
The sixth-year guard has shown steady improvement over the last few seasons, both as a shooter, and as a defender. Merrill used to get picked on constantly on the defensive end. It was part of the reason why he could never crack J.B. Bickerstaff’s nightly rotation consistently when he was coach.
Merrill has grown significantly on that end, to the point where he is now one of the Cavs’ better point-of-attack defenders, and has an underrated ability to draw charges.
Merrill turned a strong two seasons of play and improvement into a four-year, $38 million contract in free agency this summer. Cleveland viewed him as an important piece of their contending agenda, and so far this season, Merrill has more than proved his worth.
Sam Merrill's deployment has gotten him off to scorching start this season
Merrill’s number has been called a lot to begin the season because of injuries to Darius Garland and Max Strus, and he has more than answered the bell.
He is averaging almost 15 points per game on 48 percent shooting, and a blistering 48 percent from 3-point range on eight attempts per game. He's third in the NBA in threes made per game, and 11th in total makes, a number that would likely be higher if he didn't miss two games.
He’s hitting 3s in all types of ways. He is knocking down 44 percent of his catch-and-shoot opportunities, and 56 percent of his pull-up 3s. Leaving him open has put opposing defenses in a bind, as he has knocked down 49 percent of his open and wide open triples.
With Merrill on the court, the Cavs have been dominant. They have a +11.9 net rating, and a 125.6 offensive rating with him on the court this year. They aren’t just using him as a shooter either, something that head coach Kenny Atkinson has said he wants to do.
They are using Merrill in two-man actions with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, and even Larry Nance Jr. Merrill has enjoyed success off of dribble handoffs, and is putting the ball on the floor more than he ever has in his time in Cleveland.
Before when he would get run off the 3-point line, he would turn the ball over, or if he didn’t have a clean look, he would quickly pass it away. He now has the confidence to make another decision if the shot isn’t there, which will help open up the Cavaliers offense.
Merrill has taken advantage of his early-season opportunity, and has entrenched himself as a core member of Cleveland’s rotation. His shooting percentages may balance out a little bit, but even then, he has established himself as one of the better shooters in the NBA to start the year.