The Cleveland Cavaliers' bench is built to win beyond the regular season, and the key to unlock that potential is in the hands of one Cavs veteran.
Last season's playoff defeat placed the Cavaliers into NBA limbo between contender and pretender. The Cavs' star duo of Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley both earned All-NBA honors, and Darius Garland joined the two on the All-Star roster. The star power leading the Cavaliers elevated the team to the top spot in the Eastern Conference last season, but a second-round loss to the Indiana Pacers called that regular-season success into question.
During the second round series, the true difference came from the second unit production, or lack thereof, for the Cavs. Indiana's bench outscored the Cavaliers' bench by 7.6 points per game and shot roughly seven percent higher from the field. Cleveland's starters actually outscored the Pacers' starting group by 4.2 points per game, though the efficiency was nearly 10 percent worse than Indiana.
To take the next step forward, improving the bench unit's productivity and efficiency will be paramount. Throughout the offseason, the Cavs emphasized adding depth pieces around the margins to capitalize on the preexisting star core. The return of a beloved Cavaliers veteran could bring the answer.
Nance's Cavaliers return could unlock the second unit
Cleveland's frontcourt depth has been the team's Achilles heel in the recent years, never securing any real backup options behind Evan Mobley or Jarrett Allen for either the power forward or center positions. With Larry Nance, Jr. and Thomas Bryant now on board, Cleveland not only has trustworthy veterans, but they bring a variety of talent which the modern Cavs have not yet enjoyed.
Bryant, who most recently assisted in the Cavs' defeat as a member of the Indiana Pacers last season, provides traditional center qualities as an interior brute on both ends of the court. Offensively, though, Bryant also provides solid three-point shooting. This same quality is present in Nance, but Nance's overall offensive utility will allow him to shine even more.
In the first preseason game against the Chicago Bulls, the Cavaliers entrusted Nance as not only an offensive scoring option, but also as a secondary playmaking hub. Under head coach Kenny Atkinson, the Cavs have employed a movement offense focused on constant ball movement and off-ball actions. Against the Bulls, Nance was often a centerpiece off the bench, facilitating numerous dribble hand-off actions with guards and wings.
While Nance is not an extraordinary passer on his own, his role in Atkinson's offense highlights his quickness and basketball intelligence. Nance can keep the ball moving on the perimeter, opening opportunities for movement shooters like Sam Merrill to knock down quick threes. Mitchell and Garland will also thrive off Nance's DHO actions, opening pathways to easy lanes to the hoop.
Larry Nance, Jr. returned to the Cleveland Cavaliers at a highly-discounted rate, signing a minimum contract to rejoin his hometown squad. With years of added experience, his second Cavs tenure can bring value much higher than his price tag would suggest, and Atkinson is already proving to be the perfect coach to accomplish such a task.