Cleveland Cavaliers: Do not give up on Dylan Windler just yet

Over the last four years, the Cleveland Cavaliers have added a total of six different first-round NBA draft picks. The list includes potential franchise cornerstones like Evan Mobley, Darius Garland and Collin Sexton as well as the banished Kevin Porter Jr. However, one name that has remained under the radar and even dismissed by a portion of the fan base is Dylan Windler.

Windler’s introduction to the NBA has been rough. A string of bad luck has followed him out of Belmont as freak injuries derailed both his rookie and sophomore seasons. Windler has appeared in just 31-of-137 possible games since being drafted in 2019 and of this sample size, his longest stretch of consecutive NBA games is just 16 in March of 2021.

The Cleveland Cavaliers will need a number of their young players to step up next season. In particular, Dylan Windler has much to prove.

It can be difficult for anybody to perform up to expectations in the first 30 games of their career. Let alone a player who has hardly had any time to practice or grow comfortable with his role as a result of facing relentless setbacks in the form of injuries. What’s more, Windler’s strongest attribute is his 3-point shooting, which also happens to be the toughest thing to find a rhythm for in basketball when you’re facing so much inconsistency. It turns out, you need some rhythm to be a rhythm shooter.

In his brief time on the court, Windler averaged a measly 5.2 points on 33.8 percent shooting from the 3-point line. He did have a two-game stretch in which he drilled nine straight 3-pointers before falling back into a slump and ultimately getting injured once again. Shooting below league-average when you’re supposed to be a 3-point specialist is not a good start for Windler. His deficiencies on defense and inability to create much off the dribble for himself only added to his struggles.

One point that is often brought up when criticizing Windler is his age. At 24 years old, he’s already the oldest of Cleveland’s recent draft picks. The fact that he is seemingly still so unpolished at this stage is a red flag that few have critics been able to look past.

This is where nuance becomes important. Windler isn’t a 24-year-old prospect who failed to make an impact in his first few seasons because of failed time on the court. He hasn’t even played half of a full NBA schedule yet. It is much too early to conclude that Windler is incapable of being a contributor as comparable prospects such as Joe Ingles, Duncan Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic did not hit their stride in the NBA until after the age of 25.

Two things are clear when watching Windler play. He can shoot the ball (regardless of his slow start) and he is a good decision-maker on both sides of the floor. In spite of his limited ball-handling, Windler is a smart passer who can open opportunities for others with his selflessness. Whether or not Windler can find a suitable role as a 3-point specialist is yet to be seen but the raw talent is there. In fact, Windler’s untapped potential as a role player is intriguing. He has all the makings of a glue guy who can make the right reads and connect everyone with his ability to pass and shoot.

So, before you rush to any conclusions with Windler, let’s wait and see if he can remain healthy enough to play more than a month’s worth of basketball at a time. As of now, there is no reason to think Windler can’t blossom into a consistent shooter who is capable of playing 10-15 minutes a night as a multi-faceted bench player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.