How the Cavs ideal playoff rotations should look

Taking a closer look at what lineups Kenny Atkinson should use in the postseason.

The Cleveland Cavaliers just clinched their third 60-win season in franchise history with their 127-122 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. With seven games remaining, their focus remains on getting the one seed locked up and entering the playoffs healthy for the first time with this core group.

One thing that head coach Kenny Atkinson has preached throughout the second half of the season is having a playoff-like focus and intensity to close the regular season. The Cavs showed that during the 16-game winning streak, lost their way a little during their four-game skid, but now seem to be back on track.

Another thing Atkinson has done this year is celebrate the team’s depth. That was one of his main goals coming in and as a result, Cleveland has the eighth-best bench scoring unit in the NBA (39.6 points per game). Most nights, the Cavs go 10 or 11 deep, but in the playoffs, rotations shrink as the games get tighter and proper execution is paramount.

The Cavaliers have ample depth, but not everyone will get significant minutes in every single series. Here is what their ideal playoff rotation should look like.

• Starters: Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, De’Andre Hunter, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen
• Bench: Dean Wade, Ty Jerome, Max Strus, Isaac Okoro, Sam Merrill
• Closing lineup: Garland, Mitchell, Hunter, Wade/Strus, Mobley

The starting lineup for most of the second half of the year has included Max Strus, but that should change come playoff time. The five-man unit of Garland, Mitchell, Strus, Mobley, and Allen had a rough March with a net rating of -3.1 in 86 minutes.

The Cavs acquired Hunter to elevate their championship ceiling and to pair a bigger wing with their core four of Garland, Mitchell, Mobley, and Allen. That five-man unit has a +32 net rating in 56 possessions, a limited sample size, but a dominant one. In March, the net rating was +32.5 in 19 minutes for that unit. Atkinson needs to make this his main lineup in the postseason.

For the bench, Atkinson has everything at his disposal: shooting, defending, and playmaking. Jerome, who was expected not to be a main contributor at this stage, has earned himself a big role off the bench. Strus has been lights out from three and may be benched, but will be relied upon for his toughness and shooting. Wade and Okoro are by far the team’s two best perimeter defenders and may not get big minutes, but their spurts will be very important. Making shots is paramount for those two as well.

The closing lineup is where things get interesting. The five-man unit of Garland, Mitchell, Hunter, Wade, and Mobley has seen zero minutes together this season per Cleaning the Glass. However, this unit may be Atkinson’s go-to to close games, especially against the Boston Celtics. Hunter, Wade, and Mobley can all switch one through five and all have the length and physicality to make it difficult for the offense. Garland and Mitchell will obviously be in the game down the stretch, as both guards are near the top of the league in clutch net rating.

This lineup gives Atkinson as much length and switchability as possible next to his two guards. Allen will likely find himself on the bench to close games, as teams ruthlessly attack him on five-out looks and it throws off the Cavs’ defensive rotations. Strus could find himself in there instead of Wade, given his more consistent shooting and he is also a tough defender. Swap him for Wade and that five-man unit has a net rating of +22 in 49 possessions. That fifth spot will likely flip between Wade and Strus depending on what the game calls for, but the other four spots should be set.

Cleveland has prepared all season to get back to the playoffs and go further than they ever have before with this group. Depth was their issue in their last two playoff runs, but it shouldn’t be this year.