The Cleveland Cavaliers have one of the deepest rosters in the league.
Of course, everybody will talk about their core four, and rightfully so, but they’re much more than that.
Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Jarrett Allen, and Evan Mobley will lead the way, yet the second unit has been the main catalyst behind this surge.
That was especially evident in the big win vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder.
With that in mind, NBA analyst Sam Amico wanted to tip his hat to the role players.
Following the game, he praised Caris LeVert, Ty Jerome, and Max Strus for their performance (via Full Court Cleveland).
The #Cavs bench made a huge difference last night, as Ty Jerome and Max Strus balled out. #LetEmKnow@AmicoHoops talks about what makes the Cavs' bench so electric. pic.twitter.com/Nl3kSeMNBh
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) January 9, 2025
Amico lauded LeVert for getting the job done on both ends of the floor and taking pride in his defense despite always being an offensive-minded player.
He admitted that Jerome has regressed and fallen back to Earth a bit after his red-hot start to the season, but he’s still been a major offensive catalyst off the bench for this team.
Strus, who has missed most of the season due to injury, may have had his best game of the year.
He once again proved he is a reliable veteran in critical moments.
The Cavaliers were going against the best in the Western Conference.
They were riding a 15-game winning streak heading into that matchup, the best in the league.
Now, the rest of the league may have finally noticed Kenny Atkinson’s team, which is more than just a group of four players.
NEXT: Donovan Mitchell Sends Clear Message About Cavs After Win Over Thunder
