NBA Notes: Cavs, Peyton Watson, Timberwolves, Joan Beringer, Thunder

Cavaliers

Peyton Watson may give the Cavaliers more than another versatile defender. He could help change how they play.

Mack Perry of Cavs On SI made the case that Watson’s ability to create and finish in transition could add a missing dimension to Cleveland’s offense.

The numbers support the premise. Watson produced 1.32 points per transition possession last season, placing him in the 89th percentile. His 3.5 transition points per game also led the Nuggets.

The Cavs ranked 16th in transition scoring during the regular season, then averaged only 13.4 such points in the playoffs. Their fast-break production dropped to a postseason-low 7.4 points per game.

Watson can help at both ends of that equation. His length and activity should create turnovers and blocked shots. His speed allows him to turn those stops into immediate offense.

Obviously, Cleveland will still lean heavily on Donovan Mitchell and James Harden in the half-court. But Watson gives the Cavs a chance to score before the defense gets set, something they did not do often enough last spring.

That doesn’t mean one wing will reinvent the entire team. It does mean the Cavs finally possess a player capable of pushing them in that direction.

Timberwolves

Joan Beringer is headed for a larger role with the Timberwolves. Chris Finch wants the 19-year-old center to learn that maximum effort doesn’t mean chasing everything.

Beringer is expected to back up Rudy Gobert after Minnesota moved Julius Randle and Naz Reid during the offseason. His athleticism, rebounding and defensive range make him a logical fit, but his aggressiveness can also pull him out of position and produce foul trouble.

“He always ends up on the ground, you know?” Finch told Britt Robson of MinnPost, via Timberwolves On SI. “Oftentimes [he] takes himself out of position by being overly aggressive.”

Finch considers that a more manageable problem than trying to manufacture energy.

“Somebody who plays the way he plays, you are just putting him in harm’s way if you plan to play him 30 minutes a night,” Finch said. “Until he learns.”

Minnesota doesn’t need 30 minutes from Gobert. It needs disciplined stretches in which he protects the rim, rebounds and keeps Gobert’s workload under control.

Thunder

The Thunder have learned how to survive injuries. Whether they can do it quite as effectively with a thinner roster is another question.

Ivan White of Thunder On SI argued that last season’s adversity should leave Oklahoma City better prepared for future absences.

There is evidence for that. The Thunder continued deep into the playoffs despite Jalen Williams missing most of the postseason and Ajay Mitchell sitting for much of the Western Conference finals. Jared McCain and Cason Wallace have already shown they can accept larger roles without warning.

But Oklahoma City lost Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins during the offseason. Those departures removed three established rotation players who previously helped absorb injuries.

The Thunder still possess young depth and a system built to withstand regular-season absences. What they no longer have is quite the same margin for error.

Basically, they can replace minutes when someone goes down. Replacing what their best players do remains a different matter entirely.