This Cavaliers Forward Making Strong Case For More Opportunities

JT Thor has a compelling argument he should get a chance in the Cleveland Cavaliers' rotation.

Oct 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward JT Thor (15) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bulls at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Every season, we see players break out and take the next leap.

However, that can only happen when they're given an opportunity to succeed. A team will only know what they have once that player gets a chance to prove themself.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have one player who could be and is making a strong case that they deserve more opportunities. This player would be JT Thor.

Oct 16, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Pistons guard Lamar Stevens (18) shoots the ball over Cleveland Cavaliers forward JT Thor (15) in the third quarter at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images | Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Thor is on a two-way contract with the Cavaliers and splits his time between the NBA team and their G League affiliate, Cleveland Charge.

He's only played 16 minutes in three games with the Cavaliers this season. However, he's scored 19 points and hasn't missed a shot yet.

Thor has also excelled with the Charge, averaging 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor. He's also flashed some potential on the defensive end, averaging 1.6 blocks a game with a 107.6 defensive rating.

In the Charge's recent victory, Thor scored 24 points and grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds.

It's also important to remember this isn't a player new to the NBA or someone who was just drafted. Thor is in his fourth professional season after spending the first three with the Charlotte Hornets as a member of their rotation.

He knows what it takes to be an NBA player and go face-off against high-level talent.

The only issue is that the Cavaliers already have a tight rotation, and Kenny Atkinson has expanded to ten players to ensure everyone gets playing time.

However, adding another power forward/center to the mix is something the Cavaliers should consider doing. Evan Mobley's recent ankle injury exposed a need for more size in the frontcourt. Thor would be an in-house solution to this need and would be a low-risk, high-reward decision.

Atkinson isn't going to change his rotation suddenly with the Cavaliers playing so well. However, as the season progresses, giving Thor an opportunity at some point is something he should consider.