This Duo Will Be Crucial Off Cavaliers' Bench
How good a team's starting five is an important element of any NBA team. However, the second unit is just as vital to a team's overall success. A coach needs to have to have a few players who can come off the bench and be a reliable presence.
J.B. Bickerstaff is counting on Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome to be this for the Cleveland Cavaliers and commented on how well this duo plays together too.
"(LeVert and Jerome) have been really good together. They play at tempo well. Ty does a great job of having empathy for his teammates and understanding like when he needs to get them the ball, what sets he can call to get them the ball, putting guys in position of their strengths, and doing it at tempo. So, they play well together. They move the ball well together, they create easy opportunities for each other and for the guys around them also.
LeVert will be starting his second full season with the Cavs. He's been asked to do a lot for the team in the past including starting, coming off the bench, playing as the wing and a guard, and defending the opponent's best player on the floor at times.
Still, he was able to average 12.1 points and 3.9 assists last season. These numbers could get even better with LeVert having a more consistent role and position on the team.
Feb 24, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Caris LeVert (3) dribbles against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
© Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jerome is new to the team this season but is already impressing his coaches during training camps and into the preseason. He's averaging 7.0 points and 4.5 assists a game while shooting 55 percent from the floor through the team's first two preseason games.
Cleveland could quickly turn into one of the deepest teams in the Eastern Conference if this pair can come off the bench and be an extension of the starting lineup as Bickerstaff believes they can.
