The Cleveland Cavaliers went all guns blazing in their postseason debut. The final score of 126-113 doesn't reflect how much they dominated the Toronto Raptors in virtually every aspect of the game, especially in the second half.
Kenny Atkinson's team made the most of Immanuel Quickley's absence and the Raptors' lack of a natural shot-creator. They swarmed their ball-handling wings early and often, denying them the ball, disrupting passing lanes, and disrupting their rhythm.
Notably, that's something they would've struggled to do over the past couple of years. This time, however, they finally have enough playable and switchable wings to play defense and knock down shots on the other side of the court.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are stacked in the wings
Kenny Aktinson rolled with Dean Wade as the starter. He chose his combination of size and shooting over other options, and he did a solid job on defense in 23 minutes. However, it was Max Strus who stole the show with 24 points on 80 percent from the floor off the bench. He was almost flawless in the first half, and while he got himself into foul trouble, he didn't make any silly fouls; it was all about establishing dominance and physicality.
Jaylon Tyson admittedly didn't do as well as expected, but he's just too talented and physically gifted to struggle for long. He's shown that he can hold his ground against bigger players because of his long wingspan, and he can create for himself and for others with his selfless passing.
Then, the Cavs have the ultimate disruptor in Keon Ellis. He might not be the biggest defender, but he can almost guard one through five with his active hands and ability to pick up the pocket. He's just an energy catalyst off the bench and the type of player who can get into a scorer's head without saying a single word.
Last but not least, Sam Merrill will never be a flashy player, but he's someone who rarely makes mistakes, can stretch the floor with his shooting, and has made huge strides on the defensive end of the floor. There are way too many options and potential different matchups, and that's a great problem to have if you're Kenny Atkinson.
Most teams shorten their rotations in the playoffs, and while that makes sense to a degree, it's great to have options and keep everybody fresh without having to play heavy minutes, especially this early in the postseason. The Cavs aced their first test of the playoffs, and props to Koby Altman for putting this roster together.
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