The Cavaliers are heading into training camp with one of the biggest questions still hanging over the roster: who starts at the fifth spot?
Kenny Atkinson said in his joint media availability with Koby Altman that he has not settled on the final starter yet. James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen are locked in, but the last opening remains up for grabs as camp begins next week.
That uncertainty fits the way Atkinson has run things in Cleveland. Depth has been a calling card of his tenure, and last season drove that point home. The Cavs had to roll out more than 40 different starting lineups, and they were the only team in the NBA to use that many and still make the playoffs.
This year’s group will look different again. Several rotation players from last season are gone, and Cleveland added Peyton Watson and Mario Hezonja on the wing. Both are expected to play important roles for Atkinson this season.
The battle for the starting small forward job is especially open now that Dean Wade and Max Strus are on other teams. In the playoffs, Atkinson bounced between the two at that spot and, for the most part, made the right calls. Now someone else has to take that job and run with it.
Watson looks like the cleanest fit on paper. He just got paid, and he brings the most upside of the forwards. His defensive versatility would fit neatly alongside Cleveland’s core, and he could give the lineup some secondary scoring too.
But there are other options in the mix. Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson both know Atkinson’s system better, and Tyson in particular had a strong season while helping keep the team afloat through injuries. Merrill also turned in a strong year, though he may be better suited at his natural shooting guard spot.
Atkinson said he could make the case for 13 players deserving rotation minutes, which tells you how crowded things could get. That should make for a competitive camp, and it also gives Cleveland a chance to find out just how deep this roster really is.
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