Cavs Roll Out Chaotic Three-Guard Lineup Against Thunder
Underdog NBA reported: 'Lineup alert: Cavs will start Harden, Mitchell, Tyrese Proctor, Mobley, Allen on Wednesday.'
The are rolling out a starting five for Wednesday that sounds like a late-night video game simulation gone completely off the rails. According to Underdog NBA, Cleveland will start , , Tyrese Proctor, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Cleveland is sitting at 4-3 and currently sixth in the East, trying to figure out how to balance an offense that ranks seventh in the league with a defense that gives up points like a broken ATM. Throwing Proctor into the mix with two extremely ball-dominant guards is certainly a choice, but it shows a team desperate to find a spark on the perimeter.
Harden is currently averaging 16.3 points and 6.3 assists while logging heavy minutes, which is impressive for a guy whose injury history reads like a medical textbook index. Mitchell is pouring in a team-high 21.9 points a night, but keeping both of them healthy and happy on the floor at the same time is a high-wire act that the coaching staff is still trying to master.
The just dropped a 117-112 game to this exact same Oklahoma City squad on Monday. Now they have to travel to OKC, where the 5-2 Thunder are waiting to run them out of the gym. If you are looking at the player prop market, figuring out who actually gets to shoot the basketball in this crowded Cleveland backcourt requires a minor in advanced calculus.
We will see if this three-guard experiment actually translates to a road win or if it just creates a spectacular traffic jam at the top of the key. If it fails, expect Cleveland to shuffle the deck again before the Philadelphia 76ers come to town on Friday.