SAM Merrill

Merrill got into two preseason games before the elbow kept him out. He opened on October 8 against Boston with 8 points, 0 rebounds and 1 assist in 9.7 minutes in a loss, finishing minus-6. Three nights later against Orlando he played 18.3 minutes and put up 5 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in a Cavaliers win, with a plus-10 on the floor. Then came the October 13 rematch with Orlando, a loss in which Merrill logged no minutes. That was the night the elbow landed on the injury report. Two games is a small sample, and preseason minutes are shared across a deep bench. Still, the Orlando outing showed the version of Merrill Cleveland wants: efficient in limited time and a positive on the scoreboard while he is out there.

Last season Merrill played 52 games for Cleveland and averaged 26.5 minutes. He scored 12.8 points per game with 2.6 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.1 blocks. He turned the ball over just 0.8 times a night. The shooting is why he plays. He hit 46.1 percent from the field, 42.1 percent from three and 85.5 percent from the free-throw line last season, good for a 64.4 true shooting percentage. His usage rate sat at 16.7, which fits a role player who spaces the floor rather than a primary option. The Cavaliers were plus-4.7 per game with him on the court last season. For a guard who does not need the ball to be effective, those numbers describe a player whose value shows up in the margin more than the box score.

Merrill's last season closed in a second-round series against New York that Cleveland lost in four straight games from May 19 through May 25. His scoring in that series went 12, 4, 6 and 5 points, and his plus-minus was negative in all four games, including minus-17 in the opener. The round before was a different story. Against Detroit, he had a 23-point night on May 17 in a Cavaliers win, finishing plus-22 in 25.3 minutes. He also scored 10 on May 15 and 6 on May 13 in that series. The swing from the Detroit series to the New York series is a reminder of how much a shooter's impact depends on whether the shots fall. When they did, Merrill was one of Cleveland's best players on the floor.

Merrill is a 6-4, 195-pound guard who wears number 5 for Cleveland. He is 30 years old and entering his sixth season after a college career at Utah State. His game is built around the three-point shot, and his 42.1 percent mark from deep last season is the headline number. He also takes care of the ball, with 0.8 turnovers per game on 16.7 percent usage. He is not a high-volume rebounder or a shot blocker, and his assist numbers reflect a secondary role in the offense. What he offers is a reliable floor spacer who can play real minutes in a playoff rotation. The elbow is the only question hanging over him right now, and Tuesday's full practice suggests that question is close to being answered.