The Cavaliers are in win now mode, in case you haven’t heard, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have a handful of young players who will be hard at work this season trying to carve out long-term roles for themselves.
Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report recently broke down some of the team’s young talent, including draft-and-stash prospect Cedi Osman who signed with the Cavaliers ready to suit up for 2017/18. Likened to a 6’8″ Matthew Dellavedova, Osman could hustle his way into a role in Cleveland’s rotation.
The feature also sheds light on big men Edy Tavares and Ante Zizic. The former, he writes, could be the first cut should the Cavaliers need to free up a roster spot. Zizic, on the other hand, could establish himself as a high-motor rebounder in the mold of Steven Adams.
There’s more from the Central Division:
- The Bulls may have changed their outlook on Cameron Payne‘s role with the franchise, and not for the better. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times writes that one source close to the team seemed particularly bearish. “We knew the second practice [after he was acquired] that he couldn’t play at [an NBA] level,” the source told Cowley. “The only reason it took two practices was because we thought maybe it was nerves in the first one.”
- The Bulls have named Shawn Respert their new Director of Player Development among various other executive-level changes, a press release on the team’s official site states.
- While Kyrie Irving and Isaiah Thomas were the big names trading places, the fate of the blockbuster trade between the Cavaliers and Celtics could come down to how well Jae Crowder fares in Cleveland, Jesse Blancarte of Basketball Insiders writes.
That’s some harsh criticism for C-Payne
He looked good in summer league before his 2nd season, and then had the first jones fracture. Hasn’t been able to recover from that. Everything I’ve seen from him since is a totally different person and player, and in a bad way. He doesn’t attack at all. He just dribbles and takes bad step back 3s, and when you already have work to do on your jumpshot, that’s obviously a bad combo. Its even worse when he is supposed to be a PG and he doesnt seem to feel the need to pass. I also haven’t seen anything from him defensively at all
Crowder could end up being the difference maker in the finals this season.
Definitely the dude can score from the perimeter and does not get rattled in pressure situations.
That’s possibly the most open criticism I’ve heard/read/seen about a young player in my 20 years following the NBA.
I remember Kobe saying it was ‘hard’ playing with Kwame Brown and Smush Parker, but to say someone categorically cannot play at the NBA level is real.
Wow
It would have more meat if we knew who the person was that said it. Doesn’t negate that it could be true but would offer more context.