Houston's Problem: 3 takeaways from Cavaliers' win vs Rockets

Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell and Sam Merrill, Cleveland Cavaliers / Jason Miller/GettyImages
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Takeaway No. 2: More Craig Porter Jr.

With Darius Garland out for seemingly the next month, one would think that would mean Craig Porter Jr. would have a much larger role coming off the bench. Well, two games in, Porter has received a combined 23 minutes of playing time, including only eight minutes against the Rockets.

It's not clear what else Porter needs to do to show that he is ready for a larger role. He can pass and make plays for others at a high level. He can get to his spots with ease. He is a solid defender. Yes, he is a rookie, but he deserves to have a bigger role with Garland, Ricky Rubio, and Ty Jerome out. Those are the Cavs’ top three point guards, and Coach Bickerstaff only has room for 11 Porter minutes a night?

Also, I understand that Donovan Mitchell is the best player on this team, and has to take on a larger role being the team’s point guard, but he cannot play 40 plus minutes a night over this stretch. That is not sustainable. The Cavs have Porter sitting on the bench when he can be spelling Mitchell more often. He should be getting 15-20 minutes a night.

It has only been two games since the injury news, so we’ll see what happens, but this team needs more Porter if they want to keep the good times rolling, and Spida fresh for later in the year. Speaking of Mitchell…