Ever since getting bounced by New York in the first round of the Playoffs this past season, the Cavaliers have been hard at work trying to improve their main weaknesses, which was a lack of reliable shooting, floor spacing, and some physicality in the paint. While I am still leery about Cleveland's strength at the center position, the Cavaliers definitely seem to have improved as a team, even though we won't know how good of a fit the new players are until the new season kicks off this fall. But overall, I like the moves thus far. Let's take a look at the newest bunch of Cavaliers joining the team from the Draft and Free Agency!
Emoni Bates (Small Forward)
With only one pick in this year's Draft thanks to using their first rounder to acquire Caris LeVert in a trade, I wasn't really sure which direction the Cavaliers would go in. But they went for an ultra-talented scorer at #49 overall who can generate offense. Bates is a low-risk, very high reward type of player. The only question is: Which Emani Bates will the Cavaliers get on a more consistent basis? If it's the one who only averaged roughly seven points per game while he was in college at Memphis? This could be a problem. But if it's the one who scored over 19 points per game once he transferred to Eastern Michigan, and who can light it up from deep? He could be another solid scorer on the floor along with Mitchell and Garland if he sees some action.
The biggest liabilities for this kid? Size, decision making, and maybe some character issues. He's 6'10, but he's only listed as 180 pounds. He's a beanpole. He'll have to put on some muscle if he wants to last long in the pros. Probably at least 10-15 pounds. He's also been known to take a lot of off-balance shots. Granted, a lot of them go in. But in big games, he can't just chuck up threes during critical possessions.
He also had a run in with the law recently where he was pulled over and arrested on felony gun charges. He was later sentenced to 18 months of probation after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge. If he can keep his nose clean, that charge will be expunged from his record. Bates clarified in an interview that he was supposedly driving someone else's car that had someone else's gun in it, and he got pulled over for running a stoplight on his way to a haircut. Hopefully this kid can stay out of trouble. I had flashbacks of Delonte West getting arrested on similar gun charges when I read that. Bates seems like a "project" for the Cavs. He's very raw and very talented, and he has a long way to go before he becomes a solid NBA player. But Cleveland is trusting in their Player Development department to turn Bates into a true professional.
Caris LeVert rejoins Cavs on a two-year, $32 Million contract.
This one was nice to see! While Caris LeVert is normally most comfortable having the ball in his hands more often than not, once Donovan Mitchell arrived in Cleveland after the blockbuster trade, he had to learn how to be a facilitator and defensive player. And he excelled in whatever role he found himself in.
But perhaps most importantly, LeVert WANTED to stay in Cleveland. he was an integral part of the Cavaliers' first 50+ win season in five years, and one of the reasons they made the Playoffs. The Cavs front office and LeVert both expressed the desire to keep working together to make great things happen. He definitely seems like he'll be one of the leaders in the locker room for the 2023 team once the season gets underway. Glad to have him back!
Georges Niang: Veteran Sharpshooter
This one definitely put a smile on my face the more and more I looked at what Niang brings to this team. Georges Niang played for the Philadelphia 76ers for the last two seasons, but on June 30th, he agreed to a three-year, $26 Million deal that's fully guaranteed once he officially becomes a Cavalier on July 6th. I'm excited!
Cleveland REALLY had a glaring weakness when it came to three-point shooting last season. They were very streaky, and eventually went ice cold in the Playoffs at the worst possible time. They just didn't have the firepower beyond the arc to consistently do any serious damage. Niang could help fix that problem.
He's 6'7 and listed as a "stretch forward", which means he can play several different positions, which will allow Cavs head coach JB Bickerstaff to be creative with his rotations. But for a team that prioritized improving shooting in the offseason, the Cavaliers knocked it out of the park with this one.
Niang is almost exclusively a three-point shooter, and has a career mark of around 40% which is in the Top 15 in the league for all active players. He's hit at least 40% from three every season of his career, and has shot 52% from the corner, and 41% on catch-and-shoot threes. When the Cavs are running their offense efficiently and playing really well, those are the kind of three point looks that they'll be able to create on a consistent basis.
I remember in 2016 when the Cavaliers won the NBA Championship, two of the three biggest strengths they had as a team were ball movement and being absolutely DEADLY from long range thanks to making the extra pass. I'm not saying the 2023 Cavs will rival 2016 in terms of being a better team. That group was, and will always be, incredibly special. But the 2023 Cavs are definitely taking a page out of a Championship-winning playbook. Hopefully Georges Niang can make it rain in Cleveland this upcoming season!
Wheeling and Dealing for Max Strus!
The Cavaliers needed a little help to swing this one. In a three-team trade with Miami and San Antonio, Cleveland acquired Max Strus, another sharpshooter, and finalized a four-year, $63 Million deal for him that will become official very soon. In exchange for their help in making the deal work, the Spurs will receive Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens and a second-round pick from Cleveland, while Miami will also get a second-round pick from the Cavaliers.
Strus isn't quite as reliable as Niang when it comes to consistently hitting from long range, but he's a Playoff veteran, since he appeared in every single one of the 41 playoff games the Heat were in over the past two seasons. Strus knows what it takes to win in white knuckle, high-pressure situations. Outside of veteran center Jarrett Allen, not many of the other Cavs players had much, if any experience playing postseason basketball, and it unfortunately showed.
But Strus provides not only veteran experience, but is a reliable scorer who can chip in coming off the bench. He averaged 11.5 points per game last season, and can consistently hit from outside, averaging 37% from long range in his career.
Getting some help at Center with Damian Jones
No, the Cavaliers did not bring fan-favorite Damon Jones out of retirement. They acquired Damian Jones, a 6'11, 245-pound center from the Utah Jazz in exchange for virtually nothing. The Cavaliers ate the remaining $2.6 Million on Jones' contract, but that was it. This gives Cleveland some depth at center behind Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley. The team is likely not done improving here, but this move will at least allow them to feel more comfortable at the position going forward. But I'm definitely interested to see how they improve here. I would say that not having a bona fide center is now their biggest weakness since they shored up their perimeter shooting.
Ty Jerome: Becoming a Cavalier once again
Cleveland agreed to a two-year, $5 Million deal with Ty Jerome, the former Virginia Cavaliers star and 2019 National Champion. This is likely a pickup meant to help with adding talent further down the roster. Jerome played with Golden State last season, and filled in admirably for Steph Curry when he was injured. He scored seven points per game, along with snagging three rebounds per game, in 45 games last season. But between Curry, and newly acquired point guard Chris Paul, Jerome was the odd man out in the Bay Area. When Steph and CP3 are fully healthy, there'd be no room for Jerome. The Warriors liked Jerome though, and made him a qualifying offer of $1.7 Million for next season, but Jerome decided to head to Cleveland for more money and a more direct path to some playing time.
Jerome will likely be battling with veteran point guard Ricky Rubio for time behind Darius Garland. He's younger at just 25 years old, compared to 33 for Rubio, and Rubio is also coming off ACL surgery. Jerome has yet to really find his footing on an NBA team, and Cleveland might be his first real chance of achieving that.
All in all, these were some very solid moves by Koby Altman and Mike Gansey in the Cavaliers front office, but something tells me they're not done. This team could again be Top 5 in the East, a strong Playoff contender, and is extremely talented. But they're definitely being aggressive when it comes to pushing for even loftier goals!
Sources: ESPN, Cavaliers Now on FanNation, cleveland.com
Picture Credit: pinterest.com
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