Cleveland Cavaliers starting shooting guard: Donovan Mitchell
Donovan Mitchell fully entered NBA superstar territory in his first season with the Cavs. He remains limited on defense — thus, the concerns tied to his pairing with Garland — but there simply aren’t many players who can match Mitchell’s impact on the offensive end right now.
Blessed with one of the most explosive first steps in the league, Mitchell continues to shred defenses by getting downhill and pressuring the rim. He has the strength to finish through contact, the shiftiness to evade shot-blockers, and the bounce to go over the top when all else fails. There are few more fearsome sights for NBA defenders than Mitchell gunning toward the rim with a head of steam.
Mitchell’s progression as a playmaker for others has cemented his stardom. There aren’t many ways to take him out of the game. Bring a double and he will beat you with a pass. Give him too much space on the perimeter and he’s one of the best pull-up shooters in the NBA. Mitchell averaged 28.3 points and 4.4 assists on .484/.386/.867 splits. Defenses can’t shift the entire scheme to stop Mitchell either, because that only opens up the floor for Garland.
There are questions aplenty about Mitchell’s future with the Cavs. It will be important for Cleveland to make the requisite improvements around Mitchell this season. The odds of him signing an extension multiply a thousandfold if Cleveland can make a deep postseason run. That is absolutely in the cards for this group, but Bickerstaff, the front office, and the supporting cast all have to carry their weight.
Primary backup shooting guard: Caris LeVert
Caris LeVert bounced between the starting five and the second unit last season. He ended up starting games in the postseason, which didn’t go particularly well for the Cavs. LeVert is a tremendously gifted athlete and scorer, blessed with impressive flexibility and dynamism handling the ball, but he isn’t the best fit stylistically next to Mitchell and Garland.
LeVert did hit 39.2 percent of his 3s last season, by far the highest success rate of his career. That’s a promising sign of progress. On the flip side, LeVert’s best attribute is his ability to create from scratch. He’s a legitimately impressive isolation scorer, but it too often comes at the expense of teammates. It’s not unfair to say he’s suited to spark-plug duties with the second unit, rather than soaking up oxygen that’s better reserved for Mitchell or Garland.
The Cavs will still lean on LeVert plenty and he’s a strong candidate to close games depending on the matchup. Having multiple players who can break down the defense is never a bad thing. That said, his own individual defense is another major hangup with LeVert.