Cavaliers Coach Admits Intriguing Experiment Didn't Work

It doesn't sound like the Cleveland Cavaliers will continue playing De'Andre Hunter at center.

Tommy Wild | Apr 5, 2025

Mar 14, 2025; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers small forward De'Andre Hunter (12) celebrates after making a three-pointer in the 1st quarter of the Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Smith-Imagn Images / Matthew Smith-Imagn Images

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Cleveland Cavaliers

The Cleveland Cavaliers became a much more dynamic team the moment they acquired De'Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline.

On offense, the forward can space out the floor with his outside shooting and has the skill set to create his own shot when driving to the basket.

Not to mention, Hunter has always been considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA since he was drafted in 2019.

These positives inspired Kenny Atkinson to try Hunter out in an intriguing experiment: playing Hunter at the center.

He finally got to put that idea into action on Friday night with Jarrett Allen on the bench for rest in the second half of Cleveland's victory over the San Antonio Spurs.

And, well, some ideas are better in principle because even Atkinson admitted this experiment didn't quite go as planned.

"It didn't look great tonight," Atkinson said after the game. "We'll see [if this is something we can use in the playoffs].

"Sometimes series turn. I've seen it where you do have to go small, so I'm glad we got a look at it. We got film on it. We can take a deeper dive into it when we look at the minutes."

Mar 7, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward De'Andre Hunter (12) shots against the Charlotte Hornets during the third quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images / Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

It doesn't sound like we'll be seeing Hunter at the five again anytime soon.

Interestingly, Hunter's biggest struggle at this position came on the defensive end, with San Antonio's big men outmatching him down low.

This idea may not have gone well for the Cavaliers, but as Atkinson mentioned, at least they now have film on it to determine whether it's something they want to try again or officially put an end to.

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