The Cleveland Cavaliers escaped with a seven-game first-round series victory over the Toronto Raptors. They had multiple opportunities to make quick work of a scrappy Raptors team, but was not able to do so.
An interesting factor in that series win though was that the Cavs were able to survive subpar series from their superstar duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Their big man duo of Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen made their presence felt throughout this series, including Allen’s Game 7 masterpiece.
Now, Cleveland is facing a second-round series against the Detroit Pistons, a team with a lot of familiar faces. The Cavs are going to need their big four to step up, but they have one advantage that could push them over the top.
Cleveland’s deep wing rotation is what can help them take Detroit down
The Cavs’ wings have not been healthy and whole all season, until this playoffs. It is a versatile group that features Dean Wade, Max Strus, Jaylon Tyson, and Sam Merrill. All four guys give Cleveland different skills, but they are all needed.
Wade has his offensive shortcomings, but if you need him to shut the water off of a team’s best player, he can do that at an elite level. He completely shut down Brandon Ingram last round and he will likely get the first crack at guarding Cade Cunningham. Along with Mobley, and Allen, that gives the Cavs a nasty defensive trio.
Strus and Merrill bring shooting, toughness, and IQ. Lineups with them together in the first round had a +14.0 net rating and a 134.0 offensive rating. Their constant movement offensively and their willingness to do the dirty work on both ends of the floor give Kenny Atkinson a bunch of lineup flexibility.Â
Tyson got off to a rough start against Toronto, but he really settled into the series quickly. He looked very comfortable operating out of the short roll, providing Harden and Mitchell with a safety valve out of double teams. He also crashes the boards relentlessly, and against a Pistons team that loves crashing the glass, that will be key.Â
All four wings are going to be imperative to the Cavs’ success in this series. They all showed up when they were needed against the Raptors, and if this team wants to go far, they are going to need to provide their big four with support every game.
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