Tristan Thompson and Larry Nance Jr. figure to play most of the minutes at center for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. It’s up to Tyronn Lue to figure out how to distribute minutes between the two big men. But it appears that Lue will play Thompson and Nance based on matchups.
Lue will be challenged this season. He no longer has LeBron James to lean on and carry the team through stretches of malaise as he did at points last season. Lue doesn’t have the luxury of deferring to the best player in the NBA. But that’s not to say that Lue can’t figure out a way to get the most out of his overlooked roster. Playing with matchups and getting creative with his rotations could be key towards exceeding expectations this year.
No one really knows what to expect out of this team. Kevin Love is taking over as the team’s de facto leader and star. Collin Sexton is coming in as the future of the backcourt. Cedi Osman is looking to take a giant leap forward in his sophomore season with a greater role. Veterans like Kyle Korver, J.R. Smith, George Hill, and Rodney Hood are all trying to figure out how their roles are changing without LeBron.
In short, there is a lot of uncertainty in Cleveland right now. Lue is facing an entirely different set of expectations and circumstances this season. Whether or not the Cavs will rise to the occasion or fall into the abyss of the Eastern Conference remains to be seen.