Las Vegas – With the 60th pick in the of the 2020 NBA Draft, the New Orleans Pelicans selected Sam Merrill, and the traded him to the Milwaukee Bucks. As the player dubbed “Mr. Irrelevant” (always given to the last player picked in the draft) Merrill came in with no expectations and no guarantee he would make the roster or be in the league. With the Bucks, Merrill played 30 games, starting 2 games. He averaged 3 points per game, on the way to winning a title with the Bucks. Then he was with Memphis and while the minutes weren’t completely there, Merrill still did what he always did. Shoot the ball!! Last season, his third as a professional, Merrill played much of the year with the Cleveland Charge. That was where I got my introduction to him. The first impression was “Wow this guy can REALLY shoot the ball” I found myself wanting him to be 6’7” and taking care of the small forward need for the Cavs. Because again, the guy can flat-out shoot. But Merrill is 6’4” about 200 pounds. Because we already have a small backcourt with Darius Garland and Donavan Mitchell already being under 6’3”. Trying to throw a lineup out there with Merrill is not plausible. But… the guy can shoot the basketball!!
While I watched Merrill play last year with the Charge, it was amazing how well he mixed with any line up. One thing for guys who can shoot that always amazes me is, everyone knows what you want to do, and you still get the shots off. Merrill kind of effortlessly gets his shot off. Whether pulling up, or his specialty, coming off a screen, Merrill gets shots up. One of the quickest releases I have seen, Merrill doesn’t take much to get his shot aimed and ready to go. I don’t want to make it seem like Merrill is a complete player with no weaknesses. He isn’t a great playmaker; he also doesn’t defend great and would get targeted nightly. But he isn’t so bad at those things to not find a place for him. The Cavs saw something in him last season as they signed him to a 3 year $5M deal. While that isn’t a huge number compared to the contracts we hear about, it was a huge accomplishment for Merrill. The Cavs knew and saw what everyone else was seeing. This guy can shoot the basketball!
This summer Merrill is playing on the Cavs summer league team. There is some comfortability as Merrill is playing with guys he played with on the Charge last year in Isaiah Mobley, and Sharife Cooper. But through the first three games, Merrill has been the story. Coming off a game in which he made 8 three pointers, Merrill is showing again what makes him so valuable. He can really shoot the basketball!! I don’t know how long the Cavs will be able to keep in in the G League, I don’t know if he will get the call up to be in the NBA full time. What I do see is improvement on the defensive side, and more playmaking this summer. While he doesn’t solve the height problem for the Cavs, and the Cavs are loaded in the backcourt, one thing remains true. Sam Merrill is an elite shooter. THAT GUY CAN SHOOT THE BASKETBALL!!!
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