The Cavaliers may not be locked into a traditional answer at backup point guard, and Kenny Atkinson doesn’t sound interested in forcing one.
With Dennis Schröder gone in the massive five-team deal that brought in Peyton Watson, Cleveland suddenly has less proven depth behind James Harden and Donovan Mitchell on the perimeter, especially when it comes to running the offense. Craig Porter would be the obvious name to slide into that opening, but the early plan may be more open-ended than that.
Atkinson has made it clear the minutes behind the starters matter, yet he doesn’t appear tied to a standard point guard solution. When asked about the competition for that spot, he was quoted with the following:
The Cavs could simply be leaning into internal growth. That would put the spotlight on younger players and give the staff a chance to sort out what actually works once the season starts. It also fits the reality of Cleveland’s roster: there isn’t much established depth there, so testing different looks makes sense.
Atkinson’s comments suggest he may be willing to use that role as more of a flexible assignment than a fixed job title. He also stressed the defensive end when discussing the position, then followed up with a list of priorities and factors that could help him make the call.
That opens the door to several possibilities. Evan Mobley could handle the ball more in non-Harden minutes after posting a 21.8% usage rate last season.
Jaylon Tyson could get more on-ball chances after showing promise as a pick-and-roll ballhandler and building good chemistry with the bigs. Rookie Meleek Thomas could be pushed into a larger creator role after standing out in summer league as both a playmaker and scorer.
Tyrese Proctor is another option after a rookie year that showed flashes of his value as an off-ball shooter, disruptive defender, and creator out of the pick-in-role, where he ranked in the 71st percentile. Even Mario Hezonja could be used in certain lineup combinations with the ball in his hands.
None of that would be especially surprising in today’s NBA. The league is full of non-traditional initiators and facilitators, and teams increasingly care less about labels than about whether a lineup functions. If Cleveland thinks it can get a better blend by going away from a classic backup point guard, Atkinson seems willing to explore it.
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