Yardbarker
x

The faces on the Cleveland Cavaliers bench will look very different then they did last season.

Cleveland has a new head coach, Kenny Atkinson, who will be in charge of developing a new offense for the Wine and Gold. However, the Cavs have added other new names to the coaching staff, such as Johnnie Bryant and DeMarre Carroll.

Cavaliers sharp-shooting guard Sam Merrill appeared on the Locked On Cavs Podcast and revealed that he's really looking forward to working with this new staff.

"I'm really excited about the group we have and the new staff," said Merrill. "We haven't been able to spend a ton of time together because Kenny was helping out with the French national team. But I had a couple of workouts down in Vegas during Summer League, and then I've had a couple of workouts here in Cleveland over the last couple of weeks."

Merrill noted that the team has gotten into any of the X's and O's of what the new offense may look like, but said that through some of his early impressions, the team will be very intentional with their offensive game plan.

"We haven't really gotten into system, plays, or anything like that, but it's clear there's a way we're trying to play. We've been trying to simulate decision-making, quick decisions, playing out of advantages, and just trying to play the right way offensively, and I think it's going to be really good for us."

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

It's exciting to think about what Cleveland's offense could look like with all of the threats they have.

Obviously, Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Jarrett Allen , and Evan Mobley will be at the center of their scheme, but role players like Merrill still have an important job to play. Seeing how Atkinson and the staff use his unique skill set will be fun to watch, and Merrill appears to agree.

"I'm a big fan of the group we have, and big fan of the staff so far. I'm excited to get to know each other going forward," said Merrill.


This article first appeared on Cleveland Cavaliers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!