When the Cavaliers open the preseason Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, they’ll have at least two and possibly three new starters from the team that lost to the Warriors in the NBA Finals. It’s a fairly dramatic overhaul no one could’ve predicted less than four months ago.



Tristan Thompson is expected to come off the bench this year, and Jae Crowder will start at power forward, one source with knowledge of the team’s plans told The Athletic. Kevin Love will slide to center in the new-look lineup.



Love’s range will pose matchup problems for a number of centers across the league, while moving Crowder into a starting role will improve the defense and allow the Cavs to switch most pick-and-rolls defensively. Thompson, himself a Swiss army knife defender, has been made aware of the plans and is accepting of returning to a reserve role. Crowder is also a good defender who has grown into a consistent 3-point threat — he shot 40 percent from deep last season.



‌‌‌ Fans will...