Can Sam Merrill Realistically Fit Into the Cavaliers Rotation? – Sports4CLE, 3/4/24

Can Sam Merrill Realistically Fit Into the Cavaliers Rotation? – Sports4CLE, 3/4/24

How does Sam Merill fit into um into the Cav’s rotation I I you would expect that there were there are some matchups where he can’t guard but he doesn’t and I haven’t watched I haven’t watched that intently I don’t think he gets that exposed on the defensive

End I don’t think it’s that to be perfectly honest with you I gotta watch what I say when it comes to the Sam Marl thing because apparently like I’m not doing it in a good enough way to make people understand it so I’m going to try and start

Here Sam Merill is a great offensive weapon Sam Merill is somebody who has earned minutes he deserves more playing time than what he has been getting especially when this team got back to full strength okay so now that we know that that’s how I feel about the

Situation now we know where I stand on that just like a lot of the other fans want to see more of Sam Merill and and believe that it’s better for the Cavs because of his shooting because of his spacing because of his constant movement because the attention that He commands

From an opposing defense it’s just not that easy unfortunately it’s not that easy Dave there 240 minutes in a basketball game Sam Merill can play two positions two he can play the two and the three those are the deepest positions that the Cavs have on this

Roster so if he’s going to play more it’s going to come at the expense of somebody who is in the nightly rotation right because JB bicker staff is most comfortable playing nine sometimes he’ll play 10 but even if he goes to 10 there aren’t a bunch of minutes for that 10th

Guy Donovan Mitchell is going to get somewhere between 35 and 37 minutes we know that Darius Garland is going to get somewhere between 32 and 36 minutes max streu is going to get somewhere between 32 and 36 minutes Caris lever is going to get somewhere between 26 and 32 two

Minutes Isaac aoro needs to play all those guys play the same position as Sam Marill so I just don’t know what the solution is to create more minutes for him like it’s really easy to say well there are a couple of other guys underperforming like George Nang and

Dean Wade take them out of the lineup take them out of the rotation okay they don’t play the same position Sam Merill does they occupy the fourth spot not the two and the three so if Sam Merill is going to play more minutes it’s going to come at the

Expense of one of some one of these guys would have to lose minutes for this to happen Donovan Mitchell Darius Garland Max stru Isaac aoro Carris lever and like it’s hard to justify any of those guys losing a large chunk of minutes given the role that they have on

This roster and given their importance and the skill set that they bring to the table like they need Caris Levert’s shot creation and playmaking right they need Isaac aoro on ball perimeter defense they need Max stru and all the things that he brings to the table he’s been

One of their most effective players throughout the entire season so I just think it’s going to have to continue to be a situational thing with with Sam Merill as frustrating as that is in the words of Sam Merill the other night after the Detroit game we got a lot of

Guys we got a lot of good players there’s not enough room for everybody who deserves minutes yeah you know that’s well said um and it’s it may be a thing of well Max isn’t hitting his three tonight we need Merill in there so yeah I gotta that well said uh Chris or

You know what Dave it might be a situation where like teams are just completely ignoring Isaac aoro and the Cavs feel like their offense is bogging down and they say we’re goingon to make the sacrifice we’re going to sacrifice defense for offense or they feel like they’re not creating enough movement on

The offensive end of the floor they need Sam Merill to create some of that offensive movement um I I just think it’s going to be based on matchup I think it’s going to be based on time and score I think it’s going to be based on

Opponent I think it’s going to be based on game Flow and like that’s built into your role if you’re the ninth 10 guy on this roster not everybody can have the role of Donovan Mitchell right where the minutes are going to be guaranteed no matter what happens

Dave Bacon and Chris Fedor discuss Sam Merrill on the 2023-24 Cleveland Cavaliers.

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