Before kicking off the 2023-24 NBA season, the Cleveland Cavaliers added a new face to their coaching staff. Sources confirm to ClutchPoints that the Cavs have added former Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings head coach Dave Joerger to their staff as a coaching consultant. The Athletic‘s Shams Charania initially reported the news. Like Luke Walton, Joerger is another assistant joining Cleveland's coaching staff with head coaching experience, championship pedigree and unique insight to help develop the young stars all over the Cavs' roster.

Dave Joerger's coaching experience

With 17 years of coaching experience, including stops with the NBA G League and Philadelphia 76ers, Joerger brings a ton to the table that can help Cleveland. Joerger has built a reputation as one of the league's most innovative offensive tacticians as an assistant and head coach. Joerger reached the Western Conference playoffs in his three seasons as the Grizzlies head coach, including a trip to the Western Conference semifinals in 2015. He left Memphis to become the Kings head coach in 2016, where he coached three more seasons.

Joerger has experience building his offense around his dominant big men, having coached Marc Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins and Joel Embiid throughout his career. With Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley on the Cavs' roster and plenty of shooting surrounding them, Joerger can help unlock an offense that was fairly pedestrian last season. While with the 76ers, Joerger noted that even though Philadelphia had James Harden and Tyrese Maxey to provide offensive firepower, Embiid was central to everything, and Harden and Maxey complimented him.

“As they continue to play and spend time together, it’ll be even more and more potent,” Joerger said in 2022, per Heavy. “When does James go? When does Tyrese go? But Joel is the straw that stirs the drink. And so then you’re picking where can we go to attack him defensively. Hopefully we can make them pay in a lot of different areas, with a lot of different looks.

“And I think he also is maybe a little underrated as far as how much his passing has improved. He’s gotten better. Since I’ve been here, he’s gotten better. He had a nice week last week where he’s seeing guys, being able to make some of those passes, which only makes him better as a scorer as well.”

Joerger's impact on Cavs 

His analysis tracks with what the Cavs have been trying to implement offensively this offseason by having their big men act as the central focus on offense while shooters are constantly looking for opportunities on the perimeter. If Joerger implements his approach from his time with the 76ers, it could help Mobley and Allen dominate nightly.

The former Memphis head coach also has a sound mind for defense, being credited with helping the Grizzlies defense, which led the league in steals and forced turnovers during the 2010-11 season. Joerger showed his players how to win with defense. Without that plan in place, the on-hand talent would have gone to waste.

“He loves the craft,” an NBA general manager told ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz. “Look what he’s done with [the Memphis] defense. He’s got [Tom] Thibodeau’s thing for defense, but he’s a lot more likable than Thibs.”

With his experience and ability to unlock things on either side of the ball, Joerger is a great addition to a Cavs coaching staff. Sources say that they've been looking for an addition after Antonio Lang joined Quin Snyder and the Atlanta Hawks and adding someone with Joerger's abilities was too hard to pass up.