The Cleveland Cavaliers decided to try out both of their young point guards off the bench in their season opener against the New York Knicks. One of them definitively looked better.
Kenny Atkinson loves to play a deep rotation off the bench. As a result, 10 Cavaliers players received playing time in the game against the Knicks. Two of those 10 were Tyrese Proctor and Craig Porter Jr.
Porter got the first opportunity out of the two guards. The man entering his third season with the Cavaliers came into the game during the first quarter of the matchup. Porter ultimately finished the outing against New York with two points, one assist, and a plus/minus of -9, which was the worst mark among the bench unit.
Proctor eventually got the longer look of the two. The Cavaliers second-round pick from the latest NBA Draft checked in during the second quarter of the ball game. Proctor delivered the bigger impact by the end of the night, notching five points, two assists, one rebound, and a box plus/minus of -1.
These were, admittedly, both small sample sizes for the two young guards. However, one of them looked far more polished and ready for an extended look in their time on the court. Surprisingly enough, it was not the third-year pro.
Cavaliers risk wasting real potential by choosing Porter over Proctor
Atkinson gave Proctor 16 minutes off the bench by comparison to Porter's seven in the first game against the Knicks. The Cavaliers head coach might already be clued in on who should get priority of the two moving forward.
The real problem here comes with continuing to cater to both and limiting opportunities for some of the other players off the bench. Perhaps there would be instances that arise which call for Thomas Bryant, Nae-Qwan Tomlin, or Luke Travers.
If that is the case, and Atkinson needs one of those guys in off the bench, there will need to be a decision made between Proctor and Porter. Those moments will only allow one of the two to get reps on the court, while the other sits on the bench. It should be Proctor getting the former.
Realistically, this is a problem that will be largely unique to the start of the season for the Cavaliers. Once Darius Garland, De'Andre Hunter, and Max Strus are all available, there is a good shot neither of these two are heavily featured in the Cleveland's plans.
Even then, there will be nights when Lonzo Ball needs the extra maintenance where one of these two should get a run with the second unit. The decision should be clear over and over: Proctor's NBA-readiness and upside as a contributor must be prioritized.