It has been a strange summer for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After waiting, and waiting, and then losing out on the LeBron James sweepstakes, the Cavs had to pivot. They already watched Keon Ellis and Dean Wade depart before James’ decision, and then had to offload Dennis Schroder and Max Strus to get a smidge of wiggle room to improve the top of the rotation. Acquiring Peyton Watson is a good gamble to make given his age, athleticism, and reasonable extension number, but the Cavs are undoubtedly more top-heavy than they already were. That is a problem.
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A short bench is nothing new for the Cavs, but there are even more legitimate concerns now. The wing rotation got an infusion of juice with Watson, yet there are plenty of questions after that. Jaylon Tyson has shown promise, but he fell out of the rotation in the playoffs and often got into head coach Kenny Atkinson’s doghouse. Mario Hezonja has not played in the NBA since before COVID, and there is a reason he is on a non-guaranteed contract. There really is no way of knowing what he will be able to provide, let alone in high-leverage playoff situations.
Thomas Bryant makes his return to the frontcourt, but the Cavs should have sought out a more athletic, non-traditional backup center. Nae’Qwan Tomlin is listed as the team’s backup power forward, a scary proposition considering he was a two-way player last year. There is nothing necessarily wrong with Tomlin, but a team that wants to compete for a championship should have a better option in tow. Craig Porter is serviceable, but the Cavs are putting a lot of faith in him being the full-time backup point guard.
Whether you want to believe it or not, Cleveland needed Wade out there. The Cavs were +5.9 with Wade on the floor last season, which is +3 better than they were without him. His true value does not show up in the box score. Wade’s ability to defend the arc, disrupt passing lanes, and stay in front of guards was all vital to the Cavs’ defense. When he hits a few shots and grabs a few rebounds, Wade was nearly invaluable. The Cavs will miss that two-way ability, even if he drew the ire of the fanbase.
Once seen as the prize of the De’Andre Hunter trade, Ellis was a near non-factor in the postseason. That being said, watching him walk is certainly not ideal, given that he’s provided a burst of energy off the bench more than a few times. That woke the Cavs up more than a few times this past season, especially in the doldrums of the winter. Sam Merrill was already a difference-maker, but he will shoulder more responsibility this upcoming season.
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It is hard to say the loss of Schroder is detrimental, as his on-court play was already a net negative, but the replacement, Porter, has many pitfalls as well. Tyrese Proctor is intriguing, but not reliable yet. Porter has a lot of supporters in the organization, and plenty of fans outright, but there is a reason the Cavs felt they needed to get Schroder last year in the first place.
Trading another fan-favorite like Strus was tough to see, but the Cavs had only a few levers to pull to improve the roster. Strus is a good movement shooter who would come around pin-downs and get up quick shots, and that will be tough to replace. His ability to get hot from the floor saved the Cavs more than once this past season, and his size makes him a viable defender – if not a little overrated. Then there is the leadership and locker room impact, something not quantifiable. But there is a reason the Cavs were reluctant to trade Strus, and the off-court traits are part of that calculus. Hezonja will be tasked with filling in some of those cracks, and it is entirely possible he does so admirably. But there is also a real possibility that he is unable to reach NBA-level and ends up off the roster.
The Cavs are playing for the playoffs, and bench players who possess one or two specific skills are crucial. Strus’ movement shooting, Ellis’ energy, or Wade’s defense are traits that are hard to measure individually, but add up to something important in a seven-game series. The New York Knicks got key contributions from the likes of Landry Shamet, Mitchell Robinson, and Josh Hart — each with a unique ability off the bench that, at some point, swung a possession or two and changed a game. The Cavs’ bench does not have that, or at least not right now.
As they have been for the past few years, Cleveland is going into the season with a top-heavy roster. While Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are talented enough to get the Cavs home court advantage in a playoff series, there should be concern for the quality of the bench. This is NBA Finals or bust for the Cavs, as they rapidly approach the edge of the cliff. The bench has been an issue for the last few years, and that may rear its ugly head again.
