Putting an emphasis on shooting with an uptick in pace, Cleveland Cavaliers swingman Sam Merrill feels right at home. In his first training camp as a member of the main roster, the 27-year-old has not wasted a motion on the practice floor or during games — and head coach J.B. Bickerstaff has taken notice.
“He's shown what kind of threat he can be,” Bickerstaff said. “This guy is elite when it comes to creating shots without the ball in his hands. The way he moves, the gravity that he forces people to chase him and play with.
“There's a toughness to him. I think when you see shooters, you don't really combine or equate the two. He does a really good job defensively of being physical, keeping people in front of him. You think about the first preseason game where he took a hard foul when a guy had a layup and put him on the ground. Typically, you don't think of shooters having that type of mentality. So he's got a toughness and a grit to him, and also the ability to make shots.”
Merrill is riding a wave in which Cleveland took home the 2023 NBA Summer League championship. He averaged 20.4 points per game on nearly 45 percent beyond the arc. It also helps that he spent time with the Cavs in the spring, earning a three-year contract in mid-March thanks to his play in the G League with the Charge.
Understanding how aggressive Merrill is with firing the ball off his fingertips, it’s easy to see how his game mirrors new Cleveland forward Max Strus — but it goes much beyond that.
“Just the way that they move without the basketball, there are similarities,” Bickerstaff said. “Obviously, the shooting is a similarity. There's a headiness, the way that they play with a speed. On an instant, they can see what the defense is doing. How they leave their feet, how they turn their feet and they can make a reaction to go find space to go create a shot really, really quick.
Merrill happens to agree with that point of view. Sharing the same agency at Priority Sports for the last two years, he knows the kind of player Strus is, but being teammates with him has provided a closer glimpse. He’d love to sharpen his game in the same type of way.
“Seeing the way that he cuts and consistently moves — not just for himself as a shooter, but his ability to cut and make the next play and make the right reads and stuff,” Merrill said. “That's something that I feel like I have, but haven't really applied a whole lot. So that's one thing that I'm definitely trying to work on here. He's a guy that makes me want to be better, and I hope I can do the same for him.”
Merrill is focused on being prepared to play for this Cavs team whenever they call his number this year.
"I think it's been a great camp overall for the entire team," Merrill said. "I feel like I've just kinda continued on the trajectory that I've had throughout the summer with Summer League and workouts and whatnot.
"Obviously, we've got a lot of guys and a lot of guys that I think — and I believe the coaches I think — can help this team win on certain nights. So my job and my mindset has always been be ready whenever that time comes, stay ready, all that stuff. Just keep doing what I'm doing. I feel like I've done a good job so far."
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