The Cavaliers have a guard room that most teams would envy, but that kind of depth can turn messy fast.
James Harden and Donovan Mitchell sit at the top of the pecking order and aren’t going anywhere. They’re the established pieces Cleveland is building around, and through the first 10 games of the season, they’ve been treated like it. The real issue is what happens after those two when the minutes start getting sliced up.
Craig Porter Jr. has been in the mix for a few seasons now, but he still hasn’t fully carved out a steady rotation role. Tyrese Proctor, in his second year, has made a noticeable leap from his rookie season and has earned backup minutes behind Harden at point guard. Then there’s Meleek Thomas, who has burst onto the scene and quickly made his presence felt around Cleveland.
The injuries to Peyton Watson and Jaylon Tyson have already forced the guards into extended run at different points this season. Once those two wings are healthy again, Kenny Atkinson is going to have a real decision on his hands. Porter, Proctor and Thomas all have a case to play, and with Harden dealing with early struggles at 37, one of them could separate from the pack and claim a bigger role.
Porter may not bring the most scoring punch of the group, but he offers the kind of backup point guard traits coaches trust. He can distribute, and his defensive upside stands out, especially at 6-foot-1.
Proctor looks like a player with more to unlock. He’s averaging six, three and two this season and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field. His handle is a strength, and he brings energy on both ends.
Thomas, though, is the one who looks like he deserves the most minutes right now despite being a rookie. He can impact the game on both sides, isn’t shy about taking on the opponent’s best scorer, and has real shot-making ability. This season, Thomas is putting up 12.8 points per game, hitting 2.5 threes per game and shooting 48/47/100%.
That leaves Cleveland with a good problem and a hard one. Mitchell and Harden are locked in, but the rest of the guard rotation is crowded enough that somebody is going to be squeezed out. If the 5-5 start doesn’t improve, the Cavaliers may have to get active before the trade deadline, because all of Porter, Proctor and Thomas still carry value.
For now, what looked like Cleveland’s biggest strength is starting to look like its biggest headache.
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The problem is made sharper by the teams financial constraints, which leave little room to go shopping for a cleaner backup answer. With a difficult schedule ahead, coach Kenny Atkinson may have to get creative with the rotation, and the very fact that unconventional options are part of the conversation says plenty about how quickly this could become a real roster concern. [Read more 🡒]