Kenny Atkinson Can't Remove These Three Players From Cavs Playoff Lineup

The NBA postseason is just around the corner and head coach Kenny Atkinson has already stated the Cleveland Cavaliers rotation is going to have to adjust.

The team currently is trying to find time for up to 10 players, while Atkinson said there is no plan to play more than eight consistently in the postseason.

The rest of the season will be all about figuring out who makes the cut and who doesn’t, but here are three players the Cavaliers have to play during the postseason.

Jaylon Tyson

The majority of the Cavaliers rotation decisions stem from the return of Max Strus to the lineup. After missing nearly the entire year, Atkinson very clearly stated that he believes Strus will be a key piece of the team in the postseason.

As a guy who can fill in as both a guard and a forward, that puts several players with similar functionality in danger of losing their minutes.

One such player has been Tyson, a fan favorite and a rising star this year. After nearly earning a starting role during the season, Tyson has slowly seen a decline in his role and production. During March, he’s had several games of under 20 minutes played. He’s only had over 10 points three times this month.

Tyson is a spark plug though. He’s a gritty defender who gets his teammates hyped up. That kind of energy is contagious, and even more so in the playoffs.

Tyson has to be in the lineup if Cleveland wants to make a serious run this year. He’s one of the team’s most talented bench scorers and can be a real X-factor if given playing time.

Sam Merrill

Merrill and Strus provide very similar strengths to the team, thus making Merrill a candidate to lose his postseason minutes. Both are fantastic shooters who can provide some solid defense and play making.

The difference is potential versus consistency. Strus has the ability to drop 20-point on any given night, as shown in his return this month, but has always been known as a streaky scorer. That streakiness will only be more apparent in the postseason after missing the majority of the year.

Merrill provides more consistency. He’s a 44% shooter from deep this year. He’s only going to give you 15-12 on a good night, but that should be more than enough to keep him in the rotation during playoffs.

Strus will have his bad nights, and that’s when Cleveland needs Merrill to come in and deliver. You can’t expect him to do that if you don’t play him throughout.

Keon Ellis

Ellis has been one of the team’s best defenders since arriving in a midseason trade. While his offensive game can be limiting at times, a guy who averages nearly two steals and a block per game is a major asset.

Ellis has been getting over 20 minutes per game, but with Strus’s return, he’s been a player who many expect to lose time once everyone is healthy.

His minutes may have a decline during the postseason, but Atkinson can not afford to lose what Ellis brings defensively.