The Cavaliers, though they are undoubtedly one of the most exciting teams in the league, have problems that need to be addressed this offseason. Scoring off the bench, wing depth, and the right fit at the starting small forward spot are the most talked about. But do the Cavs have to look elsewhere for the solutions? The Cleveland Charge, the Cavaliers G-League affiliate team, have a promising roster that could field a young crop of talent to spark Cleveland’s charge to their future success.
Sharife Cooper
Leading the team in points per game, Sharife Cooper could provide the Cavaliers with solid scoring off the bench as well as the ability to create plays for his teammates. He averaged seven assists per game and just under four rebounds. With both Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell missing time last year due to injury, Cooper could be just the thing to keep the offense rolling in either of their absences.
Sam Merrill
Another promising guard on the Charge roster is Sam Merrill. Joining the team back in March, Merrill averaged 17.5 points per game to go along with 2.6 assists in his eighteen games in Cleveland. While not displaying the same raw scoring talent as Cooper, he still looks to be a solid option to turn to in the case of injury with a relatively high upside.
Isaiah Mobley
Isiah Mobley, the older brother of Cavaliers star Evan Mobley, is Charge forward who could see some more playing time in the NBA this season. Racking up an average of 21.5 points and grabbing just a shave under 9 boards last season with the Charge, Mobley is a likely candidate to get called up on the sooner side of this season.
Craig Porter Jr.
Craig Porter Jr. out of Wichita State is yet another prospect who could bring some consistency to the Cavaliers. In his last season he averaged 13.5 points per game while shooting 47.8 percent from the field. He was also able to bring down over six rebounds a game, five of which came on the defensive end. While not the most exciting, consistency off the bench was something missing from last season’s squad.
More potential standouts
Mamadi Diakite and Jamorko Pickett (both forwards) are two of the other bigger contributors to the Charge’s success, averaging 19.2 and 17.7 points respectively and each grabbing about eight boards. While not the most likely of candidates, both show the potential to be strong role players.
Cooper, Merrill, Mobley and Porter Jr. will get to display their potential in the 2023 NBA Summer League alongside 2023 Cleveland draftee Emoni Bates and Luke Travers (drafted in 2022 and currently playing in the NBL) who are another two possibilities to see the spotlight shown their way this season.
While trades are still to be expected, don’t be surprised to see some upward mobility with these players in this organization. Looking to players within may just prove to be the key to Cleveland’s future success.
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Featured photo courtesy of NBA.com
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