Few teams in the NBA -- this season or even in recent NBA history -- can better accomplish the vision of "Next Man Up" than the Cleveland Cavaliers.
They are not merely deep in NBA rotation players, in talent, in experience -- they are deep in functional rotation players, guys who can step into larger roles and excel. They are prepared to weather an injury at any position, and that's more rare than you think, especially in an age of second aprons.
All-Star point guard Darius Garland missed the Cavaliers' game on Saturday against the Miami Heat. It was Game 3, so the series moved to Miami, where an experienced Heat team was desperate to pick up a win and keep the series alive. They had played the Cavs tough in Game 2 and it was a real question of how the Cleveland offense would look against the Heat without Garland in the lineup.
The Cavaliers proceeded to eviscerate the Heat's defense, with Ty Jerome stepping up in the stead of Garland to drop 11 assists with 0 turnovers off the bench, a historically great stat line. He was +33 for the game, propelling the Cavs to a blowout win and a commanding lead in the series.
Garland may miss Game 4, but he is expected back soon. Yet what the Cavaliers have is a superpower, and it's one that other teams in the Eastern Conference Playoffs simply do not have.
The Cavaliers' rivals are vulnerable
The Boston Celtics are a vastly superior team to this year's Orlando Magic, especially with vital guard Jalen Suggs sidelined due to injury. Boston probably should have swept Orlando.
Instead, they have one easy win - Game 1, when Boston was fully healthy. Jayson Tatum missed Game 2 and they eked out a win. Jrue Holiday missed Game 3 and they lost, playing just eight players total in a first round playoff game. Game 4 was another rockfight the Celtics barely won.
Boston will advance, but they are already playing their key players big minutes. They have the best Top-6 in the league, but when one of them misses time they are sorely pressed to replace them. Payton Pritchard can replace Derrick White, but there is no forward ready to step into the two-way role of Tatum or Jaylen Brown. No one on the roster does what Jrue Holiday does. They have some reasonable centers around but no one who spaces the court like Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford.
The Celtics want to win it all, and they are putting an increased burden on their most important players already. And this team's track record suggests more injuries will come; can they withstand them?
The Celtics are hardly alone. The New York Knicks are locked in a war with the Detroit Pistons, and Jalen Brunson suffered a knee injury in their Game 4 thrilling victory. Who can the Knicks trust if Brunson misses time? They already play their starters heavy minutes and have limited depth. If Mikal Bridges or OG Anunoby miss time, the Knicks would be toast.
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing this grim reality themselves in a more permanent way. Damian Lillard suffered a torn ACL and will miss a significant amount of time, and there is no one on the roster who can approximate anything close to his offensive impact. That goes doubly so if Giannis Antetokounmpo misses time. Or Brook Lopez, for that matter. They're drawing dead without a single one of their key players.
The Indiana Pacers have more functional depth, and are the best-equipped of the East teams to suffer an injury. From a pure talent level they cannot survive a long-term loss of All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, but they have on-ball creators and a variety of wings and a collection of bigs. They don't have the quality of depth that the Cavaliers have, but they can adjust to any one single absence.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have stars, they have starters, they have high-level role players. They have all of the pieces that you need to compete for a championship. If everyone is healthy, they can relentlessly attack an opponent with waves of players; even if someone -- or multiple someones -- miss time, they have the depth to withstand it, and even to thrive.
As the playoffs roll on, that super power could mean the difference between an early exit and a championship. Cleveland is ready for that challenge in a way no other Eastern Conference team can match.