This is it.<\/p>\n
The last eight years for the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/a> will come down to the next eight weeks. From LeBron James<\/a> leaving town that jumpstarted a rebuild featuring Darius Garland<\/a>, Evan Mobley<\/a>, and Jarrett Allen<\/a>. To acquiring Donovan Mitchell<\/a> in 2022 to start their contention window. To multiple playoff failures, including last year\u2019s catastrophe against the Pacers<\/a>. To Garland being traded for James Harden<\/a> in February.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n This is without a doubt the most crucial, critical, important\u2026you get the point. There is a lot riding on this Cavs playoff run. They have arguably their deepest and most talented roster of the Mitchell era. They have the experience now with a battle-tested group that is adding someone with 174 playoff games of their own in Harden. Now is the time for them to break through, and it starts with the Toronto Raptors<\/a> on Saturday.<\/p>\n With that comes tough lineup decisions, and it will be on head coach Kenny Atkinson to push the right buttons. This is what his rotation should look like against the Raptors.<\/p>\n Starters: James Harden, Donovan Mitchell, Dean Wade<\/a>, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen<\/p>\n This lineup projects to be the most reliable and complete unit that Atkinson will put on the floor against Toronto. The sample size is extremely small with this group, but in the 75 possessions this five has shared the court, the Cavs have a +38.9 net rating<\/a>.<\/p>\n Not much needs to be said about Harden and Mitchell. They are the orchestrators of the offense and are one of the more lethal backcourts in the league.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Wade, Mobley, and Allen have been Cleveland\u2019s three best defenders for quite some time now. Their length, size, and switchability make them an extremely tough trio to get past on that end. In the 364 possessions those three have together this season, the Cavs have a 99.4 defensive rating<\/a>. For a team that struggled on the defensive end at times this year, leaning on your best defenders will help alleviate those concerns.<\/p>\n The bench unit may not have as much size as the starters, but Atkinson will be able to stagger the minutes between the nine he ends up deciding on.<\/p>\n Merrill and Strus bring a lot of shooting, movement, and overall toughness that Cleveland is going to need from their role guys. Strus especially has a lot of playoff experience and has proven a willingness to do the dirty work and make winning plays.<\/p>\n Ellis has shown that he can be an absolute defensive menace for the Cavs. He is great at putting pressure on the ball, getting deflections and steals, and has enough length to disrupt ball-handlers. His offense has been a pleasant surprise as well, as he is knocking down nearly 36% of his threes and shooting 49% overall from the field.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n The last spot should go to Tyson. When Cleveland was struggling early on in the season, he was one of the lone bright spots. His development into a key role player has been nothing short of amazing for the Cavs. His synergy with Mitchell in the short roll, his ability to knock down threes, and just playing with 110% effort every play is what Cleveland needs.\u00a0 All of the bench guys I mentioned have the toughness, spacing, and tenacity that make them the essential bench pieces.<\/p>\n