Unlocking Sam Merrill: The Cavs’ Crucial Challenge

No matter the opponent, the Cleveland Cavaliers embrace the next-man-up mentality, with every player on the roster—including sharpshooting guard Sam Merrill—ready to play in the event one of their teammates is sidelined.

“We’re trying to find the balance of making sure everybody is kind of comfortable and getting the stretches that they need,” Cavs head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said earlier this week. “Sam is the type of guy that always has to be ready. We know we can put him in, and he can turn a game. He’s proven to be able to sit and then come in and bang his first shot. It’s just a little difficult to find consistent minutes there because of the logjam.”

The latest instance of this came in Cleveland’s 110-100 victory over the Detroit Pistons where Merrill stepped up in the absence of Donovan Mitchell (knee) and Caris LeVert (elbow). Coming off back-to-back DNPs against the Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks while getting a cup of coffee against the Washington Wizards, Merrill finished with 12 points on 4-of-9 from the field against the Pistons.

All of those makes came from three-point range, Merrill’s specialty, with his first make coming less than 70 seconds into checking into the game. Overall, Merrill logged 25 minutes, his most since January 24th, a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, back when Merrill was finally receiving more consistent minutes when Cleveland was without Evan Mobley and Darius Garland.

“His rhythm is catching the ball,” Bickerstaff said of Merrill’s scoring punch. “He has a unique skill and a talent that you don’t see a lot of places. The talent is one thing. His professionalism and work ethic are unmatched. With the way our team is built and the depth we have, guys just have to be ready and professional. He is. Whenever his number is called, he’s prepared for the moment.”

Cavs’ depth makes Sam Merrill’s minutes tough to come by

Since Garland’s return from jaw surgery, Merrill has been pushed further down Cleveland’s depth chart with the 27-year-old sniper averaging only 10.2 minutes per game. But when watching Merrill play, he gives the Cavs an edge on the perimeter that’s been lacking since Garland has returned to the floor.

“It’s not easy,” Merrill shared. “I just put in a lot of work and try to be as confident as I can. I felt like the last game I played against the Wizards I was maybe starting to get out of a rhythm a little bit. But I got some good work in behind the scenes this last week and definitely felt good tonight.”

Merrill attributes losing his rhythm against Washington to the lack of consistent on-court opportunities with Cleveland. It also doesn’t help that at this point in the season, when practice opportunities are available, which are few and far between, the Cavs are more focused on film study, rest and recovery, as all playoff teams are. That further limits Merrill’s chances to keep his rhythm and, more frustratingly, can hurt his chances of carving out a consistent role most nights when his shot isn’t falling.

When the Cavs are at full-strength, Bickerstaff has firmly stated he will ideally lean on a 10-man rotation, with a glut of wings battling for minutes and the 11th player being the odd one out. Of the 480 total in-game minutes available, Merrill has just 96 available minutes at the spots where he can fit—shooting guard and small forward. Unfortunately, those are arguably Cleveland’s two deepest positions with Mitchell, LeVert, Max Strus and Isaac Okoro all jockeying for minutes most nights as well.

With the positions so deep and all four aforementioned players more established with the Cavs, more often than not Merrill remains on the outside looking in. But with the edge Merrill gives Cleveland on the perimeter, Bickerstaff may way want to consider lessening the minutes of some of their more burdened veterans, allowing Merrill to maintain a rhythm and flow while keeping key players ahead of him fresh for the playoffs. It’s complicated, but when watching Merrill’s performance against the Pistons, it’s clear that he needs to be a consistent part of the Cavs’ rotation going forward.