MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- The Cleveland Cavaliers’ new-look starting lineup will feature two new faces as opposed to just one.
Sources tell cleveland.com that Lauri Markkanen will start at small forward in his Cavaliers debut, creating a jumbo-sized frontcourt, with Markkanen alongside center Jarrett Allen and rookie power forward Evan Mobley -- the other newbie in that quintet.
Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff toyed with this look throughout training camp and the preseason. Even though Markkanen has played power forward the majority of his NBA career, Bickerstaff liked what he saw from the unconventional trio and believes Markkanen is one of the team’s best -- and most important -- players. Because of that, Markkanen deserves a starting role. Sources say Darius Garland and Collin Sexton will start at guard -- even though there was some internal debate about whether Isaac Okoro would be a better fit next to Garland as opposed to Sexton in this particular starting group.
Early Wednesday morning, following the team’s shootaround at FedEx Forum, Bickerstaff spoke about the importance of finding the best combinations. Garland, Sexton, Markkanen, Mobley and Allen will get the first crack, but the lineup could change at some point in the near future.
The initial decision to move Markkanen into the starting lineup is one Bickerstaff hopes will lead to a positive domino effect.
The Cavs have been searching for ways to make Okoro, the No. 5 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, more comfortable on offense. Okoro, last year’s full-time starter who also led the team in minutes played, wouldn’t have much responsibility alongside a pair of ball-dominant guards. He also doesn’t bring the same floor-spacing and shooting as Markkanen. For a team that wants to hoist more 3-pointers and is committed to an Allen-Mobley pairing, Markkanen is a better fit.
This change allows Okoro to come off the bench in an energetic super-sub role, giving him more freedom and added playmaking responsibilities -- a space he occupied prior to coming to the NBA. That could allow him to blossom on the offensive end, complementing his already-stout defense. Some of his best games, as Bickerstaff pointed out on more than one occasion over the last few weeks, came when either Garland or Sexton was out.
Another byproduct of Markkanen starting at 3: Kevin Love can receive more minutes.
The expectation is for Love to hover around the 20-minute threshold, give or take. This lineup wrinkle means there should be enough opportunities to go around for Allen, Mobley, Love and Markkanen -- four of the top eight players in the every-night rotation.
While there are questions about Markkanen being able to consistently hold up on defense, putting him next to erasers Allen and Mobley help alleviate those. Markkanen said he’s looking forward to this new challenge, spending the last few weeks studying different players he never had to match up against previously.
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