Lamar Stevens returns to starting lineup, keeps Cavs 'accountable'

CLEVELAND — In a recent game against the Atlanta Hawks, Donovan Mitchell was scored on a few times in short succession. A timeout was needed to help reset the defense.

And in the subsequent huddle it was Lamar Stevens, now in a starting role, who was there to pass along some tough love to the three-time All-Star.

"He came to the huddle and said I was getting my ass busted when they scored on me twice. I don't think anybody scored on me after that," Mitchell said, laughing, after the Cavs' 114-102 win over the Hawks. "But you need a guy like that. I respect and appreciate that."

It had been a while since Mitchell had heard something like that.

"It was [AJ] Griffin and [Dejounte] Murray, they hit two shots on me and he was like, 'What are you gonna do? Are you gonna guard or you gonna let them bust your ass?'" Mitchell said. "And I think honestly I responded to that pretty well, and I appreciate that because that's something I haven't heard since Rick Pitino started screaming at me.

"I appreciate that when it's coming from your teammate, and that's what ultimately you're going to need when you want to get to the playoffs, get to the Finals."

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Stevens was pushed into a starting role earlier this season as the Cavs shuffled their rotation because of their new-look offense — primarily due to the instant impact of Mitchell, who has been among the league's top scorers and most significant offseason additions in the NBA thus far — and dealt with injuries. Caris LeVert, at his best with the ball in his hand and once he can get into a scoring rhythm, was moved to the bench to best take advantage of his own strengths.

That played a role in pushing Stevens into the starting lineup, where he must fit with Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen, in addition to at times defending the opposing team's top scoring threat on the wing.

He won't be the leading scoring option ahead of Mitchell, Garland or Mobley, especially. But the threat has to exist to keep opposing defenses from swarming the All-Star guards.

"He needs to be able to give those threats room, but then also be accounted for offensively so that guys have to guard him," said Cavs coach J.B. Bickerstaff. "This is one of the things that — Lamar should be the all-time leading scorer at Penn State, right? I think he’s like seven points shy and they cut the season off because of COVID. You don’t lead a Power 5 Conference school in scoring if you don’t know how to play offense. … So his job is to find his spots around his teammates. I think so far, he’s been really good at it and I expect him to continue to do that."

As Stevens was vying for playing time as an undrafted free agent, he knew he'd have to add to his resume, particularly on the defensive side. He's become someone the Cavs rely on while on defense, which made him a perfect fit for the starting lineup.

"When they inserted me into the starting lineup, that’s what they expected of me first," Stevens said. "More than anything, it’s to be that defensive leader and really take on those challenges and take pride in it. I think just being that guy, I’ve kind of embraced it."

Stevens missed four games with a non-COVID illness but returned to the lineup Friday night against the Orlando Magic and scored eight points in the Cavs' 107-96 win. In addition to being molded to what the Cavs' starting five needs him to be, he's also acted as a Senior Director of Accountability on the floor.

"Any great team, you have to communicate," Stevens said. "Any great defender is vocal. Just for us to all be on the same page, it’s required for all of us to be vocal and know where the next man is. It’s just making that decision of how good we really want to be. Sometimes you have to get uncomfortable to really do big things."

That element of players holding each other accountable, in addition to the messaging coming from the coaching staff, can be an invaluable piece to building a roster, especially one with goals as lofty as the Cavs' are this season.

"It’s the most important thing," Bickerstaff said. "Coaches, we have relationships with guys and we can say what we want to say to players and hope that our relationships can carry through that, but there is no accountability like player-to-player accountability.

"It’s in the locker room, it’s on the bench, it’s on the floor, you look at the best teams in this league, and the coach only has to come in every so often because the guys can work out the problems and they can hold each other to the standard. I think it’s the coaches’ job initially to set that standard, but then the more guys you have holding each other to that standard is the only way you become a team that we’re hoping we can become."

Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByRyanLewis.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Donovan Mitchell says Lamar Stevens holds him, Cavs accountable