The Cleveland Cavaliers used their 22nd different starting lineup of the season in Saturday’s 146-134 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. After the team’s best offensive showing of the season, it’s fair
to wonder whether or not Sam Merrill should be in the starting lineup going forward.
Head coach Kenny Atkinson was understandably criticized for starting Craig Porter Jr. with the team’s core group of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen in Thursday’s loss in Minnesota. That grouping was outscored by 19 points in under 10 minutes of playing time.
Atkinson didn’t blame Porter for that group’s poor performance when asked about it on Saturday. While it’s clear that the starting lineup didn’t work, his hesitancy to initially go to Merrill came from wanting to fortify bench units that have been an issue all season.
Cleveland has had the third-worst point differential in third quarters this season. Much of that is due to not having steady bench lineups that work. This is where injuries, and players like Lonzo Ball not performing as expected, have really hurt, since the second quarter is when Atkinson typically plays the ninth and 10th men in his rotation most.
Moving Porter into the starting lineup on Thursday was done in part to keep the bench units in place. This allowed De’Andre Hunter, Tyson, and Merrill to all play their typical spots in the rotation. From that perspective, moving Porter to the starting lineup worked. It didn’t when the starters were on the court due to having three players 6’2” and under trying to handle Minnesota’s physical front line.
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Atkinson reversed course on Saturday. And based on the results, it’s a lineup he should stick with as long as Max Strus (foot) and Dean Wade (knee) remain sidelined.
Merrill fit in perfectly in his first start alongside the core four this season. He poured in 20 points on an efficient 5-7 shooting, held his ground defensively, and finished with a plus/minus of +20. It was about as good a start as you could ask for.
“He’s just a dynamic player,” Evan Mobley said about having Merrill in the starting lineup. “His cutting, his shooting ability, the way people have to guard him and be aware of him at all times. He’s just a dynamic piece for us, and so with him playing the way he is playing, it adds a lot for us.”
The attention defenses have to give Merrill opens up lanes to the basket, which is incredibly useful for someone like Mobley, who is at his best finishing at the rim.
“I feel like me and him have a great two-man game,” Mobley said. “He has a quick trigger, so guys are going to go to him with me rolling.”
The play below is a good example of what Mobley is talking about. Even though Donte DiVincenzo swipes down on Mobley in his initial drive, he isn’t able to help from the strongside because you absolutely can’t give someone who’s hitting 57% of their corner threes an open look.
Merrill’s outside shot is deadly. He connected on five threes on Saturday, which was the fourth game in a row he’s done so. But more than that, Merrill’s understanding of where he needs to be at all times just opens everything up.
“He plays a lot of random basketball as well,” Mobley said. “I think me and him having that dynamic of randomness, it’s tough for defenders to guard.”
Randomness is one way to describe Merrill’s movements. Garland used another: Chaos.
“Chaos for the opposing team,” Garland said. “He brings so much floor spacing, and the shooting ability that he has is insane. … He causes a lot of confusion with all his running and slip-outs and setting screens, and you just never know where he’s at. So he’s a really good addition for us, for sure.”
The Cavs haven’t gone to this lineup often. Coming into this game, the Cavs had only played with this group for 37 possessions this season and just 55 last. Based on the results on Saturday, where the Cavs put together their most complete offensive showing of the season against the fifth-ranked defense, it’s safe to assume that we’re going to see this group get a lot more time together.
It wasn’t an accident that Merrill’s first start with the core four coincided with their best offensive performance of the season.
“It’s hard to run and talk and switch on to pretty good guards as well,” Garland said. “It’s pretty tough. … When Sam’s out there flying around, somebody’s getting tired while guarding him, and then they got to switch on to me or Don or somebody like that, and that’s when it’s tough. So, yeah, what did Evan say? Randomness. I like the randomness that Sam brings us.”
