Heading into 2023-24, the Cleveland Cavaliers felt good about their depth and overall rotation after the offseason. The Cavs added Max Strus, Georges Niang, Damian Jones and Ty Jerome in free agency over the summer, also signing second-round selection Emoni Bates and undrafted free agent Craig Porter Jr. to two-way contracts.
All in all, for a team with only six viable players in last season's disappointing first-round playoff loss to the New York Knicks, it felt like Cleveland finally had strength in numbers. For the first time in forever, the Cavs seemingly had depth at every position and could bludgeon teams most nights by throwing out a rolling variety of lineups.
Unfortunately for JB Bickerstaff, that depth's foundation was built on a house of cards. With multiple key contributors sidelined, it becomes clear how flimsy being an offseason champion is. More importantly, it's clear that Cleveland needs even more help on the perimeter despite adding Strus and Niang to the rotation.
Cavs' depth fails test once again in loss to Celtics
In Thursday's 116-107 loss to the Boston Celtics, much like their 120-113 loss to the Celtics two days earlier, the Cavs badly needed help rebounding from the wing spot.
Sure, they're getting a few more second-chance opportunities from Strus crashing the glass. But it's still not enough to hang with teams like Boston that can crash the glass with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. If the Cavs were to run into the Celtics come playoff time, the lack of an edge rebounding-wise could spell disaster for Cleveland and end their season much sooner than expected.
So, what can the Cavs do to fix this fairly glaring issue? After selling the farm to acquire Donovan Mitchell from the Utah Jazz, Cleveland is fairly limited asset-wise. They're also financially constrained and can only sign a player to a veteran minimum deal.
So, unless LeBron James somehow asks for a buyout from the Los Angeles Lakers to come home and play on the cheap, the odds are stacked against the Cavs. That doesn't mean there aren't options out there. They just won't be the sexiest option for Cleveland to try and fix an ongoing issue on the roster.
Since Juan Toscano-Anderson signed with the Sacramento Kings, the next best option for the Cavs is likely free-agent swingman Darius Bazley, currently with the NBA G League's Delaware Blue Coats. While he was never the most robust three-point shooter in his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Bazley has always had a nose for crashing the glass, scooping up an extra opportunity in every game averaging 5.3 total rebounds for his career.
Bazley doesn't need to give Bickerstaff 30 high-quality minutes every night. Instead, he just needs to be an additional body available to crash the glass and help Cleveland with their perimeter rebounding issues.
That wouldn't be a perfect solution, but, again, it's better than what the Cavs are dealing with now. If Bazley doesn't pique their fancy, veteran options like Justise Winslow, T.J. Warren or even Blake Griffin always exist. Cleveland needs a shot in the arm somewhere with Evan Mobley sidelined, and getting second-chance opportunities could be a way to do it. The best way to make that happen is with extra help on the perimeter.
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