It’s Cedi Osman’s first chance to shine

There may be no better time for Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Cedi Osman to show why the organization drafted him than now.

With Cleveland Cavaliers guard Iman Shumpert out six to eight weeks as he recovers from arthroscopic knee surgery, rookie Cedi Osman will be his replacement in the rotation.

Osman’s play for the EuroLeague’s Anadolu Efes gathered a lot of attention over the last four seasons and, though he wasn’t putting up numbers at a high-volume, his ability to thrive in a “three-and-D” role and be a point-forward were signs of a player with NBA-level skills. He improved his shooting, his playmaking off-the-dribble and even his ability to post-up in his final season in the EuroLeague, showing the signs of a versatile scorer if not one with the potential to score in moderate volume at the NBA level (although his calling card has always been passionate defense).

So, coming over to the NBA, there were of course expectations for him to be an impactful player, even if the results weren’t instantaneous. He’s done just that and taken advantage of a chance that other young Cavs before him have gotten, though just with a level of personal investment that none of them had.

Over the past three seasons, while the Cavs have had plenty of young players with the potential to make a significant impact in the rotation (players such as Kay Felder, Jordan McCrae, Jared Cunningham and Joe Harris), none have been able to stick on the roster no matter their production. This is primarily because, after the arrival of LeBron James in 2014, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been perennial championship contenders and proven veterans usually have a better chance of staying championship-contending team than an unproven neophyte because of the “trust” factor.

More from Cavs Analysis

• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead
• Projecting how much Cavs’ 3 two-way signings might play this season
• 4 Cavaliers looking to make a name for themselves in training camp
• Mitchell’s numbers getting trimmed a bit wouldn’t be bad thing for Cavaliers

Osman is a player whose youth, potential, humility and passion has endeared him to fans, teammates and – maybe more than anybody – Cavs former general manager David Griffin. Because of the stellar reputation Griffin held in Cleveland (due to the success he had building the Cleveland Cavaliers roster), the glowing appraisal Griffin has had for Osman has resulted in him achieving a level of “trust” – with fans, the team and the organization – that many of the Cavs other young prospects didn’t have.

In fact, in recent seasons, only Felder had been complimented as thoroughly as Osman has been. Only Felder had been invested in as thoroughly as Osman.

However, Felder received a fair chance too. He even averaged 15.5 points, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per 36 minutes. However, shooting 39.8 percent from the field, 31.8 percent from three-point range and being an inexperienced 5-foot-9 volume shooter whose size could be exploited by defenses didn’t do much to keep the Cleveland Cavaliers from signing Derrick Rose and Jose Calderon to be the backup and third-string point guards, respectively, on the depth chart.

Shooting 31.9 percent from the field, 13.3 percent from three-point range during the Las Vegas Summer League circuit (2017) didn’t help either, although Felder did average 29.9 points per game for the NBA G-League’s Canton Charge while shooting 46.7 percent from the field and 36.4 percent from three-point range.

Osman, on the other hand? Prior to Saturday night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Osman has been shooting 52.9 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range while averaging 11.2 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steal per 36 minutes.

He’s energetic and plays hard, so at 6-foot-8 and with enough skill to dynamic out of a triple-threat position, he’s been able to make a  solid impact on both ends of the floor.

With Shumpert in the second unit, the Cleveland Cavaliers outscore opponents by 6.8 points per 100 possessions. With Osman in place of Shumpert in the second unit, the Cleveland Cavaliers bench (led by Dwyane Wade, Kyle Korver, Jeff Green and Channing Frye) outscores opponents by 10.4 points per 100 possessions.

This is in part because of Osman’s efficiency and basketball IQ on the offensive end (he makes quick decisions and the right plays) but also because of his effort, physical tools and technique on the defensive end. In fact, with Osman on the floor, the Cavs’ opponents’ offensive rating drops from 111.1 to 101.3.

(Editor’s note: Statistics verifiable through December 1, 2017)

Opponents still perform worse on offense with Shumpert, known because of his defensive abilities, on the floor. They just don’t perform as poorly (106.0 points per 100 possessions when Shumpert is on the floor.

Shumpert is quicker than Osman and, at this point, more proven as a shooter off-the-dribble. However, he’s shooting 38.6 percent from the field and 28.0 percent from three-point range while averaging 8.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes. While improved as a decision-maker and his shooting slashes are based off of relatively small samples, Osman has looked like a better off-ball for the Cavs in the second unit (a point made because Shumpert still could play a valuable role as a combo guard in the second unit).

The silver lining to Shumpert’s injury is a chance to see Osman play more consistently.

A chance to not just see what he can bring to the team now but in the future as well.

Related Story: Dwyane Wade is a real 6MOY candidate

*All stats gathered from www.basketball-reference.com and basketball.realgm.com