Darius Garland will be one of the most important players for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. (John Kuntz, cleveland.com)

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- It's the latest edition of Hey, Chris!

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What in your opinion, would be considered a successful rookie season for Garland? — Matt Phillips (@mattnphillips) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @mattnphillips: I don't think success for Garland will be measured solely by numbers. Hey, that sounds a lot like what I've said about the Cavaliers' season overall.

It’s more about him passing the eye test while answering the most pertinent questions.

Does he ascend and follow an upward trajectory throughout the season? Is he a good fit in head coach John Beilein’s read-and-react system? Can he show the necessary translatable traits -- off-the-dribble shooting, running the pick and roll efficiently, taking and making 3-pointers as opposed to settling for midrange shots, being able to get to the rim off the dribble -- that many of the most promising young point guards possess?

How does he coexist with second-year guard Collin Sexton? Does that backcourt tandem show enough potential to allow the Cavs to believe in the pairing long term?

Garland probably won’t be able to defend his own position immediately. Physically, he'll be overmatched most nights on that end of the floor -- just like so many other rookie point guards. Look at Trae Young's numbers last season. According to ESPN's Defense Real Plus Minus, Young ranked last among point guards. He was even lower than Sexton. Landry Shamet, another first-round guard, ranked 82 out of 102.

Garland's numbers at that end will be poor, but showing the ability to one day become a respectable defender would be important.

A successful season would be looking the part of a top 5 pick, proving that he can be a future building block. There's no reason to think he shouldn't be in the first team All-Rookie conversation. He should also get plenty enough opportunity to nudge his way into the Rookie of the Year race.

Given where Garland was selected, especially one year after Sexton was taken eighth overall, Garland’s upside will play the biggest role in determining the Cavs’ timeline for competitiveness.

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Out of all the people the cavs have signed to camp deals, who seems the most likely to get the final roster spot that’s offered? — Michael Villa (@Bigmacvilla) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @Bigmacvilla: It's important to note that all of these guys recently signed were available this deep into the summer for a reason. They are bottom-of-the-roster players. Dart throws, if you will.

Because of their Exhibit 10 contracts, it’s highly likely that J.P. Macura and Marques Bolden both end up with the Canton Charge as opposed to the Cavs. They could certainly impress during training camp in September, but the Cavs have so many bigs that it may make more sense for Bolden to get consistent minutes in the G League.

So I think spot 14 really comes down to Sindarius Thronwell, Jarell Martin or another player the Cavs will be bringing to training camp. Thornwell fell out of the Clippers' rotation as they hunted a playoff spot. Martin is coming off a dreadful year in Orlando. They both have something to prove.

While Martin has the inside-outside game that’s attractive to Beilein, he may get caught in a numbers game. Cleveland has Ante Zizic, Kevin Love, Tristan Thompson, John Henson and Larry Nance Jr. in the frontcourt. There’s also stretch-forward Dean Wade, who is on a two-way contract.

But of those two options, Thornwell is most likely. Unless the Cavs invite a wing to camp, which is still a possibility, Thornwell’s toughness and competitive drive are traits this organization values. Martin is the same kind of player, but the position edge would go to Thornwell, as he can guard 1-3.

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Hey Chris, assuming Kevin Love, in a full healthy season post-Lebron, gets back to his All NBA form, what is the Cavs ceiling this year? — Jucy in the Sky with Diamonds (@DrMrTheJuice) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @DrMrTheJuice: The roster is dotted with question marks. Las Vegas oddsmakers see the Cavs as one of the league's worst teams. But if there's hope that Cleveland can surpass the 19-win total from last season it's Love.

He played just 22 games -- a season wrecked by a toe injury suffered in preseason. The Cavs were 7-15 in those contests. Yes, that means without Love, the Cavs won just 12 games in 60 tries. He’s a difference-maker for them, their most important player.

Still, Cleveland’s ceiling, even with a healthy Love, isn’t very high. There’s not enough high-level talent, a dearth of outside shooting and the Cavs did little to improve a putrid defense, which puts immense pressure on the other end. Plus, there will be plenty of growing pains because of the combination of youngsters getting significant playing time and Beilein adjusting to the NBA. Growth and development will be at the forefront, which means experimentation with combinations and lineups will be vital. Getting to 25 wins will be quite a challenge. Anything more than that would be a pleasant surprise.

Don't forget, while the Cavs won't need help being one of the Eastern Conference bottom-feeders, there's plenty of incentive for them to solidify a spot in the bottom 10 and keep their draft pick from going to the New Orleans Pelicans. The top 10 protected pick did belong to Atlanta, but the Hawks sent it to New Orleans in a draft night trade.

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Hey, Chris!



The Cavs seem like they’re trying to replicate the Trailblazers guards, with Sexton and Garland. With those two being smaller and not all there defensively yet, who will anchor the defense? I’m concerned with those 2 & Love on the floor at the same time. — Mike Hardy (@MJH_straight_up) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @MJH_straight_up: This is a fair concern. In a private moment, even Cavaliers deep-thinkers would tell you the pieces aren't currently in place to help mask the defensive limitations of an undersized backcourt. It's too early for that. That problem wasn't going to be fixed (addressed) in an off-season where the team's biggest additions came through the draft.

There’s no defensive anchor. Advanced numbers point to Matthew Dellavedova as the team’s best defender -- at least in terms of guys who played enough to be included in this conversation. After that? It was Ante Zizic followed by David Nwaba, the latter of whom is no longer on the roster.

The Cavs are excited to see Henson healthy. He was off to a decent start with Milwaukee before an injury forced him out of the final 68 games. Henson averages 1.5 blocks during his career and may provide a bit more resistance in the paint. Love is a high-IQ player and his defensive instincts, according to some in the organization, make him a better defender than the numbers show.

It will take time -- and patience -- before the Cavs add the necessary defensive pieces. Portland just recently put good enough defenders around Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to survive with that unconventional backcourt. The belief is the Garland-Sexton duo will eventually be tough to guard, keeping the defensive problems from crippling their chances. Don't be surprised if the Cavs are near the bottom in defensive rating once again this year. They just don't have enough plus-defenders. Yet.

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When LeBron coming back? — Tyler 🤟🏻 (@Tyler_Welsh34) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @Tyler_Welsh34: LeBron will be back on March 26, 2020. That's the Lakers' lone visit to Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse this season.

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Hey Chris, With the incredible logjam the Cavs have at Guard position does either Dellavedova or Knight have a spot on the roster at start of season? — Andrew R Carey (@arcdac8) August 16, 2019

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Hey, @arcdac8: You're right. The Cavs have too many guards. Garland, Sexton, Dellavedova, Knight, Jordan Clarkson and Kevin Porter Jr. will all be battling for backcourt minutes. But the Cavs plan to have all of them at the start of the season. Even if Dellavedova doesn't log a bunch of playing time, he has plenty of value and will help Garland, just the way he did with Sexton.

The real question is how long both Dellavedova and Knight will stay.

The Cavs are still in asset-accumulation mode. They will enter this season with a goal, once again, of flipping some of the one-year guys for draft picks. While it doesn’t seem like Dellavedova or Knight have enough on-court value to net a few more first-rounders, this is the final year of their contracts, boosting that trade value. Opposing teams are always looking for expiring contracts, using them as a way to clear salary cap space. Thompson and Clarkson are both on expiring deals as well, making them intriguing deadline trade candidates.

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