The Cleveland Cavaliers’ roster woes took a turn for the worse when Collin Sexton was diagnosed with a torn meniscus in his left knee. This left a big gaping hole in the Cavs’ offense as Sexton leads the team in scoring this season with 16.0 points per game. With the exception of Tacko Fall, whose advanced numbers are overblown, Young Bull also owns the highest usage rate (27.2) among all of Cleveland’s players.
That said, Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff will not just rely on a “next man up” mentality, but rather an “all-in” battle cry to compensate for the loss.
Via Kelsey Russo of The Athletic:
“So those guys that are stepping in and their minutes are going to increase, they’ve got to find ways to help,” Bickerstaff said. “Whether they create shots for other people, whether it’s the shots for them, on the defensive end of the floor, they take those challenges. So it’s going to be everybody that’s got to contribute a little bit more.”
Fortunately for the Cavs, they’ve managed to evolve into a defensive-minded unit that also relies on a team-oriented offense. Gone are the days when the ball is pounded by one player only. Darius Garland and Ricky Rubio are the main orchestrators on offense. The Cavs’ literal big three will be complete when Lauri Markkanen rejoins Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley soon.
It would’ve been a totally different story if this happened last season. The adjustment period will still be difficult, but Cleveland is well-equipped to weather this storm.