CLEVELAND, Ohio — De’Andre Hunter’s playoff debut as a Cavalier could not have been any worse.
But by the end of the first-round sweep, Hunter had found his comfort zone and sent a stark reminder of why that trade deadline pickup earned so much league-wide praise and seemingly completed Cleveland’s championship puzzle.
“Just my first time playing with the team in the playoffs,” Hunter said following a 138-83 Game 4 win. “Playoffs is a different game, different schemes. I think it was just kind of learning how guys play in the playoffs and just making an adjustment.
“I’m extremely comfortable now.”
In Game 1, Hunter went scoreless in 16 minutes off the bench, missing all four of his shot attempts, including an uncontested layup. He looked tentative and out of place, a guy without a clearly defined role who kept interrupting the offensive flow.
His poor play — combined with Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson finding a different, workable five-man lineup — led to Hunter logging just six second-half minutes. In all, seven guys received more playing time that night than Hunter, who finished fourth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
That was never the plan.
Not when Cleveland targeted Hunter at the deadline, believing it needed more talent, depth, shooting, versatility and skill on the wing. Not going into the best-of-seven series against the feisty, physical and battle-tested Miami Heat.
“I know the other guys a little bit better,” Atkinson admitted when asked about Hunter’s surprising workload following that series-opening 0-fer. “We’re still in that mode with him and I think it’s going to get better the more we’re together, the more these playoffs go on. We’re going to need him. We’re going to need him in the big games.”
In the aftermath of that clunker, Hunter talked to members of the coaching staff and watched film with them in hopes of figuring out how he could be better utilized within the offense.
Teammates urged Hunter to be more aggressive, and they tried to get him more touches, especially when guarded by Miami defensive weak links Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson on switches. A few subtle schematic changes were made, putting Hunter in different spots and running more plays for him. Atkinson even added new offensive sets to the still-growing playbook — all designed to unlock Hunter’s scoring potential.
“I think that kind of helped me play better throughout the series,” Hunter explained. “You kind of have to figure out where you can fit in, where you can make an impact.”
Over the final three games, Hunter averaged 17.3 points on 55.2% from the field and 61.5% from 3-point range. He ranked first on the team in plus-minus, fourth in scoring, fourth in usage rate and sixth in minutes while having a significant impact on defense.
That was the vision when acquiring him from Atlanta in exchange for Caris LeVert, Georges Niang and multiple second-round picks. It looked a lot like those first few weeks in Cleveland, with Hunter fitting in seamlessly and the team winning its first 15 games with him in the lineup.
“My only concern was from my perspective,” Atkinson said. “Like man, I’m kind of not finding the right position for him to succeed. That’s the first thing you look at. Am I relying too much on the other guys that I know? You always say that with a new guy.
“I think it was circumstances. The guy hadn’t been home. We go on that hellacious road trip. He kind of gets off his routine, doesn’t have a place, he’s staying in the hotel. I just think he got off-kilter, where maybe in the beginning he was just coming in with adrenaline.
“Once he got back, kind got his feet under him, he took off again.”
On Sunday, the Cavaliers open the Eastern Conference semifinals against Indiana.
It will be another first for Hunter.
Even though his old team advanced beyond round one, Hunter was sidelined with an untimely injury during that postseason run. Technically, he has never appeared in the conference semifinals or finals.
But as was the case in the final three games versus Miami, Hunter is primed for a sizable role.
“He just kept getting more and more comfortable,” Jarrett Allen said. “When he’s comfortable and he’s in the flow of things, it makes the offense run so much smoother.”
This 1-4 matchup features plenty of firepower. The Cavs rank No. 1 in offensive efficiency in the postseason. They did not score fewer than 121 points in any of their four first-round games. The up-tempo Pacers boast the second-best offense.
Can either team find success on defense?
That makes the reliable, 6-foot-8 Hunter an X-factor.
According to NBA.com matchup data, the Heat shot just 13 of 35 from the field when guarded by Hunter. That included Herro going 0 for 7 and Andrew Wiggins missing eight of his 11 shots.
Indiana’s leading postseason scorer Pascal Siakam. Two-time All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Aaron Nesmith. Bennedict Mathurin. Obi Toppin. All of them could have to deal with Hunter at some point.
The Cavs got him for this time of year, this type of matchup. And he’s found his best self again.
“He just is everything we traded for — his physicality, his size, being able to switch,” Atkinson said. “Super talented player.”
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