Cavs New Additions Show Promise

In the span of one off-season and less than half of a season the Cleveland Cavaliers have had a ton of new additions. The Cavs new additions far outnumber those who played for the team just one season ago. Kyrie Irving, Matthew Dellavedova, Tristan Thompson and Anderson Varejao, injured for the season, are the lone 4 left on the team from last year.

LeBron James, Kevin Love, Shawn Marion, Mike Miller, James Jones, Brendan Haywood and Joe Harris were all added in the off-season. That is 7 new players that the team has struggled to bring together for cohesion.

And then this week they added 3 more Cavs new additions in the form of Iman Shumpert, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov. That is 10 new players to go with the 4 leftovers and 1 open roster spot, likely another new addition.

Jan 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) attempts a shot over Golden State Warriors forward Harrison Barnes (40) in the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Today isn’t about the 7 new players in the off-season. Obviously, at different levels, all of those players have made contributions to the team. James has struggled but is the best player in the league. Love is the best shooting big man, Marion started for awhile and provides veteran presence and defense off the bench while Miller and Jones are veteran shooters who have both had some good games. Haywood is a big guy with a big contract next year and Harris is a young developing shooter that could surround the Big 3 for years to come.

Instead today is about the newest additions, hope you appreciate the quickly done work on the band “New Edition’s” CD cover that was made for this article. Those new additions; Shumpert, Smith and Mozgov (Moondog and Sir CC aren’t new but I needed to find 2 more faces for the cover), could be just as important to the Cavs as at least 5 of the 7 from this off-season. None of this is possible or true if James and Love aren’t around.

Last night was the first game for Mozgov, while Smith got his first practice in with the team after playing his first night in Cleveland. Both of the new additions showed promise, showed things that are desperately missing from the Cavs.

Mozgov was a large man underneath. His shear size allowed him to grab rebounds and make some putbacks. Coach David Blatt also used him on screens, especially screening Love’s man as Love screened Irving’s. His large frame made it more difficult for defenders to get around. His defense was good as well. You could tell he was struggling to figure out how Blatt wanted certain plays defended, especially the pick and rolls but all and all he was a great addition in his first game, with no practice for the Wine and Gold.

Jan 9, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith (5) prepares to attempt a shot against the Golden State Warriors in the second quarter at Oracle Arena. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Smith showed the type of shooting that we sometimes saw from Dion Waiters but rarely with consistency. Smith started over Delly and was active on the offensive and defensive end. He was happy to pass when teammates were open but was aggressive looking for his shot. The team seemed to tire in the fourth quarter leading to more Irving and Smith dribbling then actual offense being run. Smith led the Cavs in both minutes and scoring, though he effeciency (11-23) left something to be desired. He contributed with 5 rebounds as well.

Overall only Mozgov played more than 20 minutes off the bench, not exactly a balanced night for the team. James Jones played 1 and Matthew Dellavedova played 15, and had a team worst -20 plus/minus.

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Yet the Cavs competed with the Warriors, who have only lost 5 games and were playing at home, till the 4th. The margin of victory for Golden State belies the fact that the Cavs were hard competition for 3 quarters without LeBron, Shumpert or Marion.

The Cavs new additions of J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov were some of the reasons the team was able to stay close. A great sign for when the Cavs get fully healthy, two starters and a key reserve were out, and time to work things together. Bringing back LeBron in a week and Shumpert in a couple, along with Marion who could be good to go tonight, will give the Cavs more firepower and balance.

Yet on a night when very few expected anything even good from the fading Cavaliers, the Cavs new additions helped make the game close.

What do you think of the Cavs new additions, J.R. Smith and Timofey Mozgov, after last night’s game?