Is This The Reason The Cavs' Rotation Has Been Tighter Than Expected?

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff explained why it's been difficult to play more guys in the rotation this season when healthy.

Just a few days in the most recent Cleveland Cavaliers Mailbag, many fans were incensed by a loss to the Portland Trail Blazers that called into question J.B. Bickerstaff going only eight players deep into his rotation. 

It isn't the first time that Bickerstaff has kept things tight. The next game in Detroit, it was a similar look for Cleveland, though he technically put Craig Porter Jr., Sam Merrill and Tristan Thompson on the floor for a quick spurt. 

Bickerstaff is an advocate for playing his top guys and Core Four as much as possible, and that doesn't appear to be changing despite being only 20 games into the season.

Cavs Insider asked Cleveland's head coach why he's had such a philosophy. He did not deflect, instead explaining his position.

“The exception of the injuries obviously, but we have a lot of really good small players. Trying to find ways where you give guys an opportunity to be successful, and when you have a lot of those guys who play similar positions, isn’t always easy," Bickerstaff said after Monday's practice. 

"I think through the 82 games, injuries will give you an opportunity to give everybody some chance and some minutes. Instead of putting people in difficult situations, we’re just trying to find ways to get minutes for everyone but at the same time give them a chance to do something in a positive way.”

There is validity to what Bickerstaff is saying here. We knew the Cavs had a lot of guards on the roster coming into the year, and it seems like the team doesn't want to shy away from its identity of playing bigger and focusing on the defensive end of the court. 

Oct 27, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) and head coach J. B. Bickerstaff talk to referee Natalie Sago (9) in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse / David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

Between Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert, Porter and Merrill, there's not much room unless it's via three-guard sets. That also goes without mentioning that Ty Jerome is sidelined and Ricky Rubio is on a mental health leave of absence — two more backcourt players. He's even stuck Max Strus at the 2 in a few instances too. Isaac Okoro can also be used in that position as we've seen.

Count that amount of guys: It adds up to nine, which is more than half of the roster itself. It's a logical explanation when it's put like that.