Competitive Cavs, Year 2, The Bench: From DEEP, in the ROCK

When the Cavs exited the 2023 playoffs and entered the offseason earlier than anticipated, it was clear something needed to be done to improve the play of the bench. While none of the starters were at their best against the Knicks in the first round, the bench was so unreliable and in such a flux that only Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, Cedi Osman, and the Ghost of Danny Green got any significant run in those 5 games, and Okoro started 2 while LeVert started the last 3.Okoro quickly played himself out of the starting lineup by not spacing the floor well enough with his shot, and only his tough defense and hustle got him minutes off the bench. Caris might have been the best Cavalier player in the entire series, save for Darius Garland in Game 2, but he moved to the starting lineup when Okoro got benched. Cedi never had one of his patented Cavalanche-sparking 3pt barrages, meaning he brought little else of use to the table. Green showed he still had a lot of rust in his game and was no longer a spring chicken on the defensive end. Same for the short stints of Ricky Rubio, while Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens had little more to offer than a few minutes of rest for the starters. No one looked great in that Knicks series, but the bench was particularly lacking. Koby Altman had work to do.Enter Georges Niang, Damian Jones, and Ty Jerome, move to the bench full-time Isaac Okoro and Caris LeVert (thanks to Max Strus), and take a backseat Dean Wade and Ricky Rubio (but get well soon, we love you), because the bench is back, baby! The big get (and the big money) for the bench was Georges Niang. This is one of those guys that I liked the Cavs signing if only because he always seemed to play well against Cleveland. A career 40.3% shooter from 3pt range, it’s clear that his role on offense is to stretch the floor and increase the catch-and-shoot efficiency of the team. There’s a good chance Niang never sees the floor without two good playmakers out there with him between Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and LeVert. That’s even before mentioning whatever becomes of Ty Jerome and Ricky Rubio this year. Those players should be able to find Niang the ball, and he will be ready to shoot. If he keeps his percentages from deep, he should be worth every penny of that $26 million contract.Damian Jones has to provide more than the jump hook meme that was left of Robin Lopez. Jones can still move well enough on defense to defend pick and rolls and the paint for short stretches, and anything you see on offense turns into a bonus. I remember seeing him play early in his career in Golden State and thinking he would have the career Kevon Looney has gone on to have. Those days are obviously over as he isn’t the glue guy and rebounder Looney has become, but he is a functional big man, especially for his role on this team mostly being third center behind Allen and Mobley. Ty Jerome seemed like a luxury signing at a discount rate (2 years, $5 million) when he joined the team, but the revelation that Ricky Rubio would be taking a break from basketball for an undisclosed period of time moved Jerome into rotation potential. While he lacks stellar athletic gifts, Jerome has turned himself into a steady hand running an offense with the ability to make some shots, including from 3. He brings good size to a small Cavs backcourt, making his fit easier on defense playing alongside either Garland or Mitchell. However, Jerome was only on a two-way contract last year, has been up and down season-to-season on 3pt percentage his entire NBA career, and has never played more than 48 games in a single season. While he may fit better than Raul Neto, being the full-time backup point guard is a greater role than was asked of either player last year. If Jerome can knock down shots and not get lost on defense, he could be a steal for 15 minutes a game.Isaac Okoro, Caris LeVert, and Dean Wade are the bench bunch returning to some sort of role this year. Lost in the shuffle between the starting lineup and bench last year was LeVert shooting a career-high 39.2% from 3. His defense also improved under JB Bickerstaff, so him in a 6th man role feels not only perfect for him but keeps Ty Jerome in more of a fill-the-gaps role as opposed to being relied on every night. Okoro showed some ballhandling chops in preseason action, but his defense will always be the thing keeping him in the rotation on this team, and it is strong. If he finds more juice (and opportunities) on offense, he might find some big-money offers waiting for him in restricted free agency next offseason. Wade found himself replacing too big of shoes last year when he essentially took on Kevin Love’s vacated spot in the rotation after he was bought out, then suffered a shoulder injury that lingered the rest of the year. With those two factors in mind, I think we can expect a return to form on shooting for Wde, while a smaller role means less chance of overexposure on defense, though I do think he’s a useful defender when healthy. All Wade has to do is fit in and he will find himself with minutes, though he is out for the opener with an illness, hopefully not a sign of things to come. The Cavs find themselves much deeper than at any time since 2017, and also with the most talent on the roster since then. Tristan Thompson wasn’t even mentioned yet, and he was on the 2017 roster as well as this current form! With better shooting and more options on the court rather than mostly “vibes guys” like Lopez and Neto (both signed well before the Cavs acquired Donovan Mitchell), the 2023-24 Cavs have the chance to weather the storms that come during a long regular season. Gone are the days of Point Cedi and Power Forward Cedi being needed often, sometimes in the same game. A strong season from the bench should put Cleveland in a position to compete for a top seed in the Eastern Conference. Expect more than a few “FROM DEEP, IN THE ROCK”s from Austin Carr this year when the bench unit is firing away. I agree, Go Cavs.