TORONTO — It’s Dean Wade SZN.
Sources tell cleveland.com that Wade will start in place of injured small forward Max Strus in Wednesday’s season opener, giving the Cavs an intriguing three-big look that could become the go-to during Strus’ extended absence.
While new coach Kenny Atkinson considered Caris LeVert and Isaac Okoro as well, the decision was officially made to insert the 6-foot-9 Wade prior to Monday’s practice.
Wade was in Strus’ usual spot for the preseason finale and has been running with the starters since Saturday — the first practice in preparation for the Toronto Raptors. Those extra reps have given Atkinson a feel for what it could look like with Wade flanking Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen.
“It starts with his defense,” Atkinson said when asked Monday about the possibility of Wade starting. “You’ve got Dean, Jarrett and Evan, right off the bat you’re good defensively, so that’s the most important thing. Then offensively, he’s versatile. Obviously, he can shoot the 3, but we’re using him as a cutter a little more. He reads the game really well and is really smart. He’s good connector for that group.”
Earlier this week, Atkinson stopped short of naming Wade the starter. Atkinson even hinted that it could vary based on matchup and other lineup-related circumstances.
“We have great depth,” Atkinson explained. “A lot of teams could be affected by this, but we’ve got some guys that can step in and will help us ‘til Max gets back.
“Everyone, the first thing they think, well what does the starters look like? What do those second rotations look like? What do the third rotations look like? That’s a big part of the decision because we have to have balance. We can’t have the starting lineup really strong and then two lineups down where we’re weak. We’ve got to find that balance — defensive and offensive balance.”
Strus is expected to be sidelined at least six weeks after suffering an ankle sprain on Thursday while conducting an individual workout. Already battling a right hip contusion, that on-court session in Chicago was part of his rehab process — an effort to have him full strength for Wednesday’s opener.