Inside Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup struggles vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

The Cavaliers still aren't able to put all the pieces together.

On Thursday, Jan. 8, the Cavaliers traveled up to the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn., for a crossover conference matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves. While attempting to sport a new starting lineup, the Cavaliers showed that certain players' roles shouldn't be changed that drastically. They fell to the Timberwolves, 131-122, with a third quarter dominated by the blue and grey.

Craig Porter Jr., who's been incredible off the bench this season, was given a chance to start the game alongside the core four. He played in 15 minutes of action, scoring just four points and dishing off two assists en route to a negative 17 plus-minus.

It wasn't just him, though. The entire starting lineup didn't work well together, with Porter Jr. joining the four superstars for the first time this season.

As a collective, the five of Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Porter Jr., Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen netted a rating of -100 in just 9:19 of game time. That's a very jarring number to see, especially when lineup testing is still occurring this late in the season.

The #Cavs starting lineup tonight of Garland/Porter Jr/Mitchell/Mobley/Allen had a net rating of -100 in 9:19 of game time tonight.

This lineup was outscored by 19 points (16-35) and had a 184 DRTG.
— jack (@TheCavsJack) January 9, 2026

The 2025 season hasn't been kind

Things aren't going to get any easier for the boys sporting the wine and gold. They've had countless setbacks this season, stemming from inconsistent play from the team's bigs and injuries to various guards.

However, every team in the league deals with situations like these. The Cavaliers just have to find a way to weather the storm.

Thursday's starting lineup, which may have been their worst of the season, was the 21st different bunch of players that was squashed together with hopes of going out there and performing. The thing is, that's a coaching issue. If players aren't working well together, head coach Kenny Atkinson has to find a core group that can be relied upon.

Porter Jr. was one of the best players in the league off the bench each night, consistently averaging 5.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. That's a player that knows his role, coming off the bench to light things up and provide the team with a spark of momentum, not someone to eat up 15-25 minutes of the night in the starting lineup.

This decision then immediately led to the team having a weaker bench rotation, which hindered them in the late stages of the loss when they tried to mount a comeback.

The hope is that his inefficiencies on Thursday won't hinder his confidence moving forward.

Mitchell, who's on pace to battle for an MVP award by the end of the season, is averaging nearly 30 points a night. He's been frustrated with the team's lack of finishing down the stretch and having to produce comebacks out of thin air.

"It's not something that we want to continually be in," Mitchell said. "It's just a little upsetting, because we let seven minutes change the course of the game. In Indiana, it was fine. Against teams like this, you can't have that.”

With Porter Jr. thrust into the starting five, they relied on Sam Merrill and De'Andre Hunter off the bench, both of whom performed great. Merrill led the bench with 22 points while Hunter followed him with 14.

Cleveland's time is ticking on figuring out the right rotation, especially as guys like Garland and Allen continue to stay in trade discussions.

The return of sharpshooter Max Strus, in roughly a month or so, is also expected to throw the chemistry and spacing for a loop when he steps back onto the court.

Next up, the Cavaliers are set to take on the Timberwolves in a rematch on Saturday, Jan. 10, with tip-off set for 1:00 p.m. EST. It'll be a quick chance for the Cavaliers to get the revenge, and confidence, they desperately need.