When Sam Merrill first arrived in Cleveland three seasons ago, he was largely just seen as a spot-up shooter and nothing more. He couldn’t crack the rotation consistently because of his spotty defense and if opponents ran him off the line, his offensive effectiveness was zapped.
Merrill has worked hard to improve his game over the last two seasons and has thrived under Kenny Atkinson. It led to him receiving a four-year contract extension last summer, showing the team’s trust in him and where his development was heading.
Merrill rewarded that trust this season with a career year. He averaged 13 points per game, three rebounds, and two assists, while knocking down 42 percent of his threes on a career-high seven attempts. While his shooting is obviously a huge plus, there is one aspect of Merrill’s game that has made him one of the Cavs’ most important players.
Sam Merrill’s defense has been a secret weapon for Cleveland
Merrill has made it his mission to get stronger, so he could hold up better on the defense end of the floor. He showed big improvement on that end last season, but it has continued into this year as well.
Merrill’s defensive IQ has been great for the Cavs. He is constantly in the right spots and knows when to switch. He is a good chaser off screens and is good at meeting ball-handlers at the point of attack and walling up.
All of that was on display in the Game One win against Toronto. Cleveland had a 111.1 defensive rating with Merrill on the court and an overall +23.8 net rating as well. He held up very well in switches against Brandon Ingram and Scottie Barnes, making things tough for them and allowing for the help defense to come.
Merrill’s ability to be consistent on the defensive end is a huge reason why Atkinson trusts him. Because of that, he can play big minutes next to Harden and Mitchell as the de facto small forward.
While he won’t be the guy that will be tasked with guarding the opposing team’s best player on a nightly basis, he can be trusted to be in the right spots, chase off screens, and hold up in switches.
The good thing for Cleveland is that they have options in their rotation. It is what makes their potential ceiling so high and we saw it against Toronto in Game One. Now, it just has to continue for the rest of the series, Merrill included.
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