The Cleveland Cavaliers need a backup big man and a backup point guard.
The former will be tough to find in today’s limited market.
The latter, on the other hand, might already be on the team.
At least, that’s how Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com feels.
The insider recently pointed the finger at head coach Kenny Atkinson for not giving Craig Porter Jr. a longer leash, and Pluto believes Porter is going to have a bigger role next season.
“One of Atkinson’s mistakes in the Indiana series was not giving point guard Craig Porter Jr. more time to help bring the ball up the court against Indiana’s pressure. He is a poised ball handler, more athletic than [Ty] Jerome. He could be a very important part of the team next season,” Pluto wrote.
Atkinson didn’t give younger players much playing time this season.
Rookie forward Jaylon Tyson played well in limited minutes but didn’t get much of a run.
The same was the case with Porter, who’s perhaps their best passer off the bench.
The Cavs needed someone to pull the strings of the offense when Darius Garland wasn’t on the court.
Jerome isn’t a pure point guard, and even if the Cavs manage to re-sign him, they still need someone to bring the ball up the court.
Porter needs to be more aggressive as a scorer, but that confidence will only come with more playing time.
The Cavs don’t have a lot of money to spend on free agents and might have no choice but to find reinforcements from within.
They also need to figure out what they have in Porter.
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