Injuries will force Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson to get creative with his starting lineup when 2025-26 season tips off

Year two of Kenny Atkinson leading the Cleveland Cavaliers should bring some new perspectives on how to deploy the team's various lineups. 

All things considered, Atkinson did a brilliant job in year one finding the right concoction of players to thrive on the court. The results, were a 64-win season – the second most in franchise history – and the top spot in the Eastern Conference entering the playoffs. 

Given that success, it's fair to reason Atkinson doesn't need to change much. Some unfortunate injury circumstances will force him to get a little creative early on, though. 

All-Star point guard Darius Garland had surgery to fix a left great tow injury this offseason and is expected to miss at least some time at the beginning of the season. Versatile wing Max Strus is also dealing with an injury in the form of a Jones fracture in his left foot. He just had surgery last month and is estimated to be sidelined for three-to-four months. 

Both Garland and Strus were part of the Cavs starting lineup last year, which means Atkinson will be forced to put together a different starting group to begin the season. 

De'Andre Hunter feels like the obvious adjustment to fill Strus' role at the three spot. What's more intriguing is what Atkinson will do to fill Garland's pivotal role in the offense alongside Donovan Mitchell. 

Atkinson's decision to take the ball out of Mitchell's hands and let Garland facilitate the offense is what helped Cleveland post a league-high 121 offensive rating during the regular season last year. To replicate that while he's sidelined, Atkinson could turn to new addition Lonzo Ball. 

Ball is a proven ball-handler in this league, who does a tremendous job setting the table for others. In a perfect world, Ball is probably the point guard leading the Cavs second unit once the team is fully healthy. In the meantime, though, Ball can effectively fill Garland's role and combined with Hunter as a shot-creating wing, the offense could keep rolling.  

Another way Atkinson could approach the situation, however, is inserting Sam Merrill into the starting lineup at the two. By default that would leave Mitchell as a primary ball-handler, but he'd have a lot of weapons around him, including Merrill as a sharpshooting guard, and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen as bigs. Those two are a given in any iteration of the starting lineup. 

The main downside to that lineup would be more usage, and thus wear-and-tear for Mitchell, who Atkinson was smart about managing his minutes last season. It would allow Ball however to remain the primary point guard of the second unit so he can get comfortable in that role.

Ball has also dealt with a concerning knee injury that cost him two seasons between 2022-2024 so in the name of keeping him healthy it may be worth managing his minutes in a role off the bench. 

Either way, Atkinson has options. But he'll open the 2025-26 season facing a pivotal decision regarding his temporary starting five. It will likely set the tone for what his follow-up act looks like in year two with the wine and gold.