The Cleveland Cavaliers were the best team in the Eastern Conference from start to finish this season.
Nevertheless, as dominant as they were, they had one big flaw before the trade deadline.
They lacked an athletic and big 3-and-D wing who could hold his own against other dynamic scorers and also knock down threes.
Dean Wade was the closest thing they had to that, and he’s always been injury-prone.
Notably, that’s why they didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger and acquire De’Andre Hunter from the Atlanta Hawks.
And now that we have three playoff games in the record books, it’s been even more evident that Hunter was just what the doctor ordered for them.
That’s why coach Kenny Atkinson gushed about his in-season acquisition, praising him for being just what they wanted and needed (via Serena Winters):
“He’s everything we traded him for, his physicality, his size, to be able to switch onto Bam, having him & Dean be able to switch onto Bam & now we got Evan on Tyler and it’s just a real luxury,” Atkinson said.
Kenny Atkinson on De'Andre Hunter's defense after Game 3:
"He's everything we traded him for, his physicality, his size, to be able to switch onto Bam, having him & Dean be able to switch onto Bam & now we got Evan on Tyler and it's just a real luxury."
— Serena Winters (@SerenaWinters) April 27, 2025
Hunter has been this team’s X-factor.
He can score efficiently from all three levels, and his size and length allow him to pull up over almost every defender in the league.
He can guard multiple positions and switch onto some of the most dominant scorers in the game, and he doesn’t commit a lot of fouls.
While he couldn’t break out with the Hawks, he’s still a former top-ten pick with the ability to guard one through five.
And even though the team won’t need him to do all the heavy lifting on offense, his efficient shooting makes him a perennial threat to go off and knock down big shot after big shot from the perimeter.
NEXT: Jarrett Allen Notches Notable Playoff Career High Against Heat
