CLEVELAND, Ohio — When the Cavs invested $38 million over four years in Sam Merrill this summer, they were betting on his elite shooting and movement skills as a complementary piece. Now, with Max Strus sidelined for 3-4 months following foot surgery, that investment is about to be tested in ways few could have anticipated.
On the latest Wine and Gold Talk Podcast, host Ethan Sands alongside cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor and Jimmy Watkins discussed what this moment means for Merrill.
“Sam Merrill is going to be de facto starting shooting guard. That’s the idea that we’ve come up with. And this has been the summer of Sam Merrill for the Cleveland Cavaliers, showcasing that they believe, that he’s better suited to help the Cavs get deeper in the postseason than Ty Jerome,” Sands said during the podcast.
The leap from situational sharpshooter to probable starter represents a dramatic shift for a player with limited extended NBA experience.
As Watkins pointedly noted: “Sam Merrill has played seven career games where he’s played 30 minutes. Never played more than 20 minutes per game in a season. I mean, we’re talking about a big jump for him in terms of just run in opportunity, run.”
This opportunity could be career-defining for Merrill, but it comes with significant pressure. Not only will he need to maintain his shooting efficiency with increased volume, but opposing teams will likely target him defensively far more than they could when his minutes were limited.
“The path of least resistance for the Cavs is going to be through Sam Merrill,” Fedor predicted. “This is the way that it’s going to be. And it’s going to be up to him to hold up, and I think he knows it’s coming.”
The comparisons to Stephen Curry’s early defensive reputation arose during the discussion, with opponents avoiding stronger defenders and targeting the perceived weakest link.
However, Fedor suggested this might actually motivate Merrill: “I think in some cases he relishes the opportunity to get those kinds of matchups so that he can prove, hey, I can stay on the floor. I’m not going to get played off the floor.”
Merrill’s personality might be perfectly suited for this challenge. Sands revealed a side of Merrill that casual fans might not yet recognize: “Just from being in the locker room and talking to the guys and also just overhearing some of conversations that have happened in the locker room, Sam Merrill is an ish talker. He is going to talk [back] to you if you talk to him.”
The balance for Merrill will be maintaining his effectiveness while potentially expanding his role.
Fedor framed this delicate balance during the podcast: “I think there are two ways to look at this, guys. I think number one, Sam can look at this as an increased opportunity, the kind of opportunity that he has been wanting in the NBA and the kind of opportunity that he really hasn’t gotten. At the same time, he has to understand there’s a reason why the Cavs committed to him. There’s a reason why the Cavs have believed in him. And if he starts getting outside himself and outside the player that he has become, that becomes a danger, that becomes a risk.”
An added complexity is what happens when Strus eventually returns. Watkins raised concerns about the psychological challenge of adjusting to shifting roles: “Okay, you’re going to have more runway for quite some time here. Like Max Strus is going to be out for a little while and then what happens when he comes back and you have to fit into a very concise role again.”
This situation also highlights the Cavaliers’ difficult decision to move on from Ty Jerome, who helped the team weather Strus’s absence at the beginning of last season. As Fedor noted: “If the Cavs still had Ty Jerome, then I think this becomes an easier decision because then Kenny Atkinson and the coaching staff can just say like hey, Ty’s going to anchor in the second unit.”
The coming weeks will reveal whether Merrill can seize this opportunity and cement himself as more than just a situational player. His performance could significantly impact the Cavaliers’ early-season trajectory and potentially reshape his career arc.
Here’s the podcast for this week:
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.