Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 lineups they need to test out in 2018-19

1. The death lineup

The lineup: Collin Sexton (PG), Jordan Clarkson (SG), Rodney Hood (SF), Cedi Osman (PF), Kevin Love (C)

The death lineup will be the Cleveland Cavaliers’ best bet at fitting in with the new trend of the NBA. Nowadays, the most effective way to play basketball is to run and gun. Lineups that can play at a fast pace, shoot the ball and switch everything on defense are the most successful.

This lineup would be the closest Cleveland can get to a death lineup. It won’t be a top-tier team, but this is more than respectable. In fact, this squad might be able to do some damage.

Collin Sexton would be a great foundation for the Cavs’ defense. His high-intensity play will frustrate opponents and get his teammates fired up. Pair him alongside a bigger player in Cedi Osman and these two could be a nice duo on that end of the floor.

Osman and Sexton will be able to switch through almost anything with little to no problems. These two scrappy players will be great for the lineup. Furthermore, Osman’s ability to handle the ball and be a playmaker at his position will prove to be valuable.

If Sexton is able to push the tempo and attack the paint, he will get his shooters open. This will get good looks for scorers such as Clarkson and Hood.

However, the biggest flaw in the lineup is the lack of a pure 3-point shooter. Kevin Love is the best shooter of the bunch. Jordan Clarkson, Cedi Osman and Rodney Hood all shoot under 40 percent from beyond the arch for their careers.

This lineup obviously isn’t perfect. They won’t run teams out of the gym. Still, it could be effective in certain cases and should definitely be attempted at some point in the season.