The Cleveland Cavaliers have a clear pecking order.
Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen are their more prominent players, and they get most of the credit for a reason.
Nevertheless, this team is quite deep, and they wouldn’t have made it this far if it weren’t for their second unit.
That’s why Booby Gibson wanted to give them credit ahead of the series against the Indiana Pacers.
Talking on the “Full Court Cleveland” podcast, the former NBA player gushed about the second unit and how coach Kenny Atkinson has been able to roll with his bench all year long, including the playoffs:
“All season long, [the Cavs] have been in situations where we’re down, and you put [the bench] in and left them in, and then bring the other guys back to show that confidence. To get into the playoffs and continue to put these guys on the floor, I think that there will be a moment where [coach Kenny Atkinson] might shrink [the rotation] a little bit, but, at the same time, all these guys will still be ready for the moment because they’ve been empowered all season,” Gibson said.
No matter when their numbers are called, the #Cavs bench will be ready. #LetEmKnow
"They'll be ready for the moment because they've been empowered all season."
Presented by @SmartChoiceWin_ https://t.co/tdq56DMiz3 pic.twitter.com/EpofmbvFfi
— Full Court Cleveland (@FullCourtCLE) May 2, 2025
Atkinson has shaken up the starting lineup depending on matchups.
He can start Max Strus or De’Andre Hunter, but both of them will play heavy minutes and be key contributors regardless of whether they start or not.
Isaac Okoro made big strides as a three-point shooter this season, and he’s always been a good defender.
Dean Wade is big and can guard both forward spots while also providing a shooting spark from the perimeter.
Ty Jerome was a finalist for Sixth Man of the Year, and he’s shown that he can step up and have big offensive games if needed.
Last but not least, Sam Merrill has taken pride in improving his defense this season.
The Pacers will be a tough team to get past, and they will need all hands on deck to get the job done.
NEXT: Former NBA Player Makes Bold Prediction About Cavs-Pacers Series
