3 Cavaliers lineups that should play more after destroying opponents this year

Lineup No. 3: The Best 5

Donovan Mitchell, Max Strus, Caris LeVert, Dean Wade, Jarrett Allen

What is the best 5-man lineup the Cleveland Cavaliers can play while Darius Garland and Evan Mobley are out? That's an important question to find an answer to; it obviously requires Mitchell to be healthy, and ideally the rest of the rotation available as well to test out the best combinations.

There is a case to be made for the new starting lineup, with Mitchell, Isaac Okoro, Max Strus, Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen; that group has a lot of two-way versatility and has outscored opponents in 74 possessions, the second-most used lineup without Garland and Mobley this season.

More powerful, however, has been the grouping where Caris LeVert is swapped in for Isaac Okoro. The Cavs have kept LeVert on the bench to allow him to power bench lineups, but his offensive ability makes up for the difference in defense between he and Okoro. This group has played 24 possessions together and outscored opponents by a whopping 45.5 points per 100 possessions.

This group is unsurprisingly dominant on offense, scoring 150 points per 100 possession and shooting lights out from the field. They have also been strong on defense, with Dean Wade and Jarrett Allen forming a potent and versatile combination in the frontcourt.

Okoro has something to say as this team's best perimeter defender, and Sam Merrill's shooting has been needed in some late-game situations. This group, however, should start getting more run to close games as it appears to be the best lineup the Cavaliers can for the next few weeks.