Cleveland Cavaliers: 3 teams they should model themselves after
By Tony Pesta
3. Portland Trail Blazers (Ja Morant)
The Portland Trail Blazers have shocked the world this postseason due to an eruption from their high-scoring backcourt. Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum are accounting for 57.0 of the team’s 111.3 points per game. As a result, the Blazers are just four games away from reaching the Western Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
The success that Portland has seen from its backcourt is something the Cavaliers should consider replicating. Collin Sexton has already proven he has the potential to score in bunches and shoot effectively from deep, scoring 16.7 points per game on 40.2 percent shooting from 3-point range in his rookie season.
Cleveland could strengthen its backcourt by adding Ja Morant to the team. Morant is an explosive athlete with phenomenal court vision and scoring ability. Ja put his name on the radar this year by becoming the first player in NCAA history to average 24.5 points and 10.0 assists per game.
A combination of Morant and Sexton would certainly look different than Lillard and McCollum. Neither player is as deadly a shooter as Dame (or even CJ, for that matter), but they both have the quickness and craftiness to become a high-scoring duo. It would be very interesting to see if Cleveland could create its own version of what Portland is currently experiencing.