Sep 26, 2022; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dylan Windler (9) during media day at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
The Cavs will look to build off an encouraging 51-win campaign. Let’s break down three things that they need to do to advance further next season.
Last offseason, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a huge move by trading for four-time All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
In his first campaign with the team, the Cavaliers showed plenty of promise, finishing with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference.
Unfortunately, they lost to the New York Knicks in the first round. Here are three things that the Cavaliers need to do get farther next year.
Things the Cavs need to do to get farther next year: 3. Re-sign Dylan Windler
Yes, Dylan Windler is not the biggest name, but he can develop into the 3-and-D wing that the Cavaliers need.
In 2021-22, he was an effective perimeter defender, ranking in the 89th percentile in opponent effective field goal percentage and the 86th percentile in opponent points per possession, per Cleaning the Glass.
In college, Windler was known as a knockdown shooter. As a senior, he shot a blistering 42.9 percent from 3 at Belmont. In his limited NBA minutes, that has not fully translated, as he has shot 32.2 percent from deep. However, I believe that number is an anomaly. Last season, he shot 40.7 percent from 3 in the G-League.
Windler can impact the game in a variety of ways. In 2022, head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said the following about Windler via Chris Fedor of cleveland.com:
“You look at his effort, you look at his energy, you look at what his focus is, and he just goes out and continues to do that.”
Windler was only able to play in three games last season due to an ankle injury. If the Cavaliers can re-sign him to a team-friendly contract, the former first-round pick could become a valuable member of their rotation.