Ever since LeBron James chose to leave at the end of the 2017-18 season, the Cleveland Cavaliers have struggled with the eastern conference's undercurrent without even smelling the playoffs.
But starting this year, Cavaliers general manager Kobe Altman has begun hoarding young, talented assets. Although the victory has not yet lasted, the skeleton of a competitive team has begun to take shape.
At least in the first few weeks of the season, these young players have begun to show their edge and victory is slowly coming. However, Cleveland is winning in a unique way. In a league where small balls prevailed, the Cavaliers unexpectedly introduced a starting lineup that included three big 7-footers paired with two small guards.
The Cavaliers' head coach said the lineup was successful because it had a secret weapon: forward Laurie Markkanen.
The Cleveland Cavaliers brought in Markkanen in a first-and-last deal in August, in which Cleveland sent Larry Nance Jr. to the Portland Trail Blazers and Derek Jones Jr. returned from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Chicago Bulls. At the time, the impact of the deal was overlooked. In the eyes of fans and commentators, Markkanen, the big white man, was considered inappropriate for the Cavaliers' style.
Cleveland locked up center Jarrett Allen on a five-year, $100 million contract and selected USC big Man Evan Mobley with the third pick in the draft. So far, Mobley's integration is pretty perfect.
Markkanen was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the seventh overall pick in 2017 and was traded to Chicago on draft night. Eventually unpopular with the Bulls and head coach Billy Donovan, he was sent to the Cavaliers.
Markkanen has played as a big striker throughout his career, but is now the team's starting number three. The 24-year-old faces a number of unique challenges, including a smaller, faster winger on the outside.
Aaron is a typical penalty area defender. Mobley unexpectedly adapted to NBA-intensity games unexpectedly quickly, using his athleticism to participate in the conversion offense and work with defenders. But as the head coach has said, Markkanen's defensive prowess, which was once questioned, has been an important part of this squad.
According to the opening statistics, the lineup of three big men has the longest appearance. When Collin Sexton and Darius Garland were paired with three big men, the defensive efficiency of the lineup was 87.3. When Ricky Rubio replaced Garland, defensive efficiency dropped to 86.7.
For reference, the Miami Heat are the first in the league with a defensive efficiency of 92.0.
On the offensive end, Markkanen has a three-pointer skill that can help the team open up space and free up the penalty area for Aaron and Mobley. In the first six games of the new season, Markkanen averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game, with 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists; Mobley averaged 15.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game; and Allen had 13 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. The combination of the three highs has helped the team achieve a record of 3 wins and 3 losses.
The Cavaliers made a successful start with an unconventional roster and one of the best defenses in the league, and Markkanen, the frustrated big forward in Chicago, came to Cleveland as the most critical new weapon.