Cleveland Cavaliers depth chart: Predicting their strongest starting 5 after acquiring Danny Green
Things have come full circle for NBA veteran Danny Green, who recently signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the first team he ever played for in the NBA. Green has bounced around considerably this season, starting the year with the Memphis Grizzlies, who he played three games for.
After his brief stint with the Grizzlies, Green was traded to the Houston Rockets at the 11th hour of the Feb. 9 trade deadline. As part of the three-team trade, Green was sent to Houston, where the Rockets waived him three days later.
As the Cleveland Cavaliers look to make a big push ahead of the playoffs, Green's veteran experience is invaluable. With their young core and Donovan Mitchell leading them through an impressive season thus far, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff knows it's a slippery slope. By most accounts, things have been going well for the Cavaliers.
Green will have the opportunity to help come playoff time, but Bickerstaff doesn't want to rock the boat too much. After the trade, he spoke to media members after the team acquired Green:
“People understand when they’re coming here, what to expect. I think that conversation would be that we’re trending in a really good direction. We have to figure the balance between continuing with the group that has started to head that way and then how you mix in a piece that could possibly help you down the road.”
As Green prepares to wear his fourth jersey in the past year, the Cavaliers could make some noise come playoff time. Let's take a look at their depth chart going forward, and where Green fits in.
Cleveland Cavaliers depth chart going forward and where Danny Green fits in
While the Cleveland Cavaliers are eager to prove that they're more than just borderline contenders this year, Danny Green will fall into a bench role. It's something that both Green and the Cavaliers seem to be on the same page about going forward.
Given the success of their starting five this season, it's highly unlikely anything will change with their starting lineup going forward barring any injuries. With the team sitting just one game behind the Philadelphia 76ers in third place, the remainder of the season will be big for the Cavaliers.
Although the general consensus is that within the next few years, the young Cavaliers team will grow into its role as one of the best teams in the league. This season has given fans a glimpse of that, leading to high hopes for The Land.
Given that the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, both of whom already have NBA Finals experience, are ahead of them, the Cavs have an uphill battle. If they want to emerge from the Eastern Conference, they'll have to get through some pretty tough matchups come playoff time.
While they've risen to the occasion time and time again this season, it will be interesting to see whether or not the team makes the splash they hope for. With a veteran like Danny Green bringing plenty of playoff experience, the Cavs could shock the league.