- Report: Many throughout Cavs organization are big fans of 2022 NBA draft class
- Damon Jones’ grateful response to LeBron James naming him one of the best shooters he’s ever played with
- Report: Rajon Rondo allegedly threatened to kill his former partner and pulled a gun on her
- Report: J.B. Bickerstaff and Koby Altman have discussed a potential change to the Cavs coaching staff
- Cavs insider indicates Rich Paul is expected to pursue extension in $180M range for Darius Garland
- Dan Gilbert’s confident statement regarding Koby Altman after he misses out on Executive of the Year
- Report: Kyrie Irving wanted LeBron James-like control with Brooklyn Nets
- Here’s how close Cavs exec Koby Altman came to winning Executive of the Year honors
- Darius Garland explains why it hurt so much that the Cavs didn’t make the playoffs this season
- Video: Kyrie Irving lashes out during GTA Twitch stream, calls other players ‘cockroaches’
Cavs News: Tristan Thompson and J.R. Smith Likely Out of Playoff Rotation
- Updated: April 6, 2018

The Cleveland Cavaliers certainly have a new look about them these days. Now that nearly the entire roster is fully healthy, fans are getting to see what kind of rotation they can expect once the playoffs begin. Based on a recent report, the Cavs could be even harder to recognize once the playoffs actually begin, as two longtime members of the team may be out of the postseason rotation all together.
According to Jason Lloyd of The Atheltic, both J.R. Smith and Tristan Thompson could be on the outside looking in once NBA playoffs begin on April 14.
According to Lloyd, JR and TT likely out of the playoff rotation.
Calderon in. Nance, Korver, Clarkson also. Not a shock, but still.
— Almost Playoff Chopz (@Pchopz_) April 6, 2018
Little clarity: Lloyd wrote a source told him Jose is in the playoff rotation. JR on the bubble and TT out. So, yeah.
— Almost Playoff Chopz (@Pchopz_) April 6, 2018
It’s something of a surprise to see Smith’s name on this list. He has averaged 7.7 points in 25.3 minutes per game so far this month, including a 15-point performance earlier this week against the Dallas Mavericks. As for Thompson, his exclusion from the playoff rotation would be far less surprising. In the first three games of April, Thompson has been averaging just 1.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game.
This report is just another sign that things have most definitely changed in Cleveland compared to previous seasons. Luckily, the Cavs have managed to find a familiar level of success on the court as of late, winning 10 of their last 11 games.
With the playoffs just around the corner, it’s clear that Cleveland is getting ready for another deep postseason run. With this report, it seems Smith and Thompson may be watching that run from the bench.
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