With a 114-113 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, the Cleveland Cavaliers tipped off what they hope will be an excellent season. Here are three keys to make sure the team meets expectations in 2023-2024.
3. The new guys mesh well and the depth improves
Since trading for Donovan Mitchell, the Cavs have fielded one of the best starting lineups in the NBA: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert (now Max Strus), Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen. However, the bench unit was lacking last season, and the front office made it a priority to build the depth surrounding the starters.
Signing Strus allows LeVert to move to the bench, where he'll likely function as the second unit's primary scorer and potentially its primary ball-handler as well. Georges Niang should provide some decent wing defense as well as quality outside shooting, and the hope is that Ty Jerome and possibly even Emoni Bates could also earn some minutes. Damian Jones takes over the backup center spot from Robin Lopez and should be a better fit there.
Strus's Cleveland career is off to a superb start, as he scored 27 points on 52.9 percent shooting while grabbing 12 rebounds. It's unlikely he'll offer that level of excellence on a nightly basis, but he should be a great fit for this team. The new additions slotting in effectively and spelling the starters will be extremely important, especially once the playoffs arrive.