CLEVELAND, Ohio — The Cavs’ success against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference semifinals may hinge on less heralded contributors stepping into pivotal roles. The Wine and Gold Talk podcast dove deep into identifying which supporting cast members could be series-defining difference-makers. When asked to name the most important player beyond Mitchell, Chris Fedor made a compelling case for Evan Mobley, the Defensive Player of the Year who may face unique challenges against Indiana’s offensive scheme. “I default toward Evan Mobley here because I think there are going to be extended stretches in this series where he’s going to be the lone big,” Fedor explained. “And I think as much as the Cavs can punish Indiana by playing two bigs on the offensive end, Kenny’s going to have a hard time consistently going with that.” Mobley’s responsibilities will be extensive on both ends – containing Pascal Siakam defensively while exploiting matchup advantages offensively, particularly when Myles Turner sits. Jimmy Watkins highlighted these opportunities: “When Myles Turner is not in the game, we’re talking about guys like, I guess, Thomas Bryant. Thomas Bryant is, let’s say, not known for his defense.” But Mobley wasn’t the only name mentioned as a potential series changer. The podcast conversation revealed another potential X-factor in De’Andre Hunter, whose recent emergence against Miami could prove even more valuable against Indiana’s spread attack. As Ethan Sands argued: “I think for me, the most important player is going to be De’Andre Hunter. He needs to be the version that we saw in Games 3 and 4 in Miami, not the version that we saw in Game 1 against Miami in Cleveland. “He needs to be the guy that one not only makes his shots, makes things tough on the defensive end. Because who knows, if Evan Mobley is having a good game guarding Pascal Siakam, De’Andre Hunter could end up or find himself guarding Myles Turner on the perimeter.” The numbers support Hunter’s significance. Fedor noted that when Mobley and Hunter shared the court against Miami, the Cavaliers posted a staggering plus-31.2 net rating. This combination could provide Cleveland with the defensive versatility to contain Indiana’s multiple threats while maintaining offensive spacing. Dean Wade emerged as another critical piece in the podcast discussion, particularly for his potential defensive assignment against Siakam. “Dean Wade is a fascinating flashpoint in this series for me because again, he’s perfect for guarding Pascal Siakam,” Watkins explained. “Dean Wade making shots has never been more important to this point than it will be in this series.” Wade’s shooting becomes especially crucial in creating space for Mitchell and others to operate, while his defensive abilities allow Cleveland to maintain size without sacrificing mobility against Indiana’s pace. The conversation highlighted how these supporting players will determine whether Cleveland can maintain their defensive identity while adapting to Indiana’s up-tempo style. Fedor emphasized this balance: “The Cavs have to find a way to deal with that speed and the pace of Indiana and at the same time not get caught up in it.” This strategic challenge extends beyond individual matchups to lineup combinations, with head coach Kenny Atkinson likely testing various personnel groupings throughout the series. The podcast suggested configurations featuring Mobley as the lone big alongside Hunter, Wade, and shooting-oriented guards could be pivotal in slowing Indiana’s offensive firepower. As Cleveland prepares for this high-stakes showdown, the podcast discussion reveals that while Mitchell may be the team’s unquestioned alpha, the contributions of Mobley, Hunter, and Wade could ultimately determine whether the Cavaliers advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Here’s the podcast for this week: If the player above doesn’t work, you can listen to this week’s podcast here. Note: Artificial intelligence was used to help generate this story from the Cleveland Wine and Gold Talk Podcast by cleveland.com. Visitors to cleveland.com have asked for more text stories based on website podcast discussions.