These Cavaliers Deserve To Get More Playing Time

Lamar Stevens and Danny Green deserve to have expanded roles for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Something became clear when the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night. That is the Cavs may benefit significantly from an expanded rotation that would keep the opposition guessing who's coming in next. 

They're a deep enough team where this is a possibility and if they were to expand to a 10 or even 11-man rotation these players are contenders to get more minutes.  

Lamar Stevens

I've been an advocate for Lamar Stevens to get more playing time all season and I still believe this to be true. He provides a jolt of energy off the bench, especially on defense.

He does leave a little bit to be desired on offense, but if he's on the floor as the small forward while Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, or even Caris LeVert or on the floor then he won't be asked to contribute a ton anyway.

Stevens is currently averaging 17.1 minutes per game, but that doesn't quite represent his usage this season. Over the last 10 games, he's been in and out of the rotation even though he isn't dealing with an injury that we know of. 

Even in the losses to the Nuggets and Hawks, he returned a positive +/- in over 10 minutes of playing time in each game. It would be wise to see him get more of these big minutes in big games. 

Mar 4, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Jared Rhoden (8) drives against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Lamar Stevens (8) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Danny Green

We know that the Cavs elected to stay put during the chaotic NBA trade deadline, but they still made an acquisition by signing Danny Green who was bought out. However, he still hasn't found a clear spot in the rotation despite Cleveland's need for more shooting. 

Green is averaging just over nine minutes a game in the four appearances he's had during his second stint with the Cavs. In that short time, he's shooting 55 percent from three on 2.3 attempts per game. 

Green on the floor with Garland could be a fantastic duo. This is because DG averages the seventh most assists per game with 7.9 and Danny's ability to run the floor and move without the ball. This is a lineup I would love to see!

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Cover Story Photo Credit: © David Richard-USA TODAY Sports