New Cleveland Cavaliers Bring the Ability to Accept

Not every player can click on a LeBron James-led team but, with youth and the right mindset, Cleveland Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman might have found a group that fits.

While we may never know the full details of what happened between the dramatic and unexpected Kyrie Irving and LeBron James breakup, there is one fact that is certain: Kyrie was over starring in The LeBron Show.

We know the story. Kyrie wanted to control his future and felt like he needed to separate himself from LeBron in order to become a fully certified NBA superstar. While the impact of that decision is still pending for Kyrie, his desire to be traded from a team that had made it to three straight NBA Finals brought about inevitable perplexity. Alongside this confusion was also the abundantly apparent realization that not every player can successfully fit in alongside LeBron’s alpha personality on and off the court.

And for those who hadn’t quite digested that realization after Kyrie requested a trade? Just leave it to Isaiah Thomas to seal the deal. Isaiah was not only obsessively playing for a max contract and overcompensating on a bad hip, he quickly realized that his personal red carpet that was once in Boston was nowhere to be found in Cleveland.

For 15 games, the basketball world watched a public display of personality-clashing at its finest. Trying to make a Year 15, Michael Jordan ghost-chasing LeBron fit alongside a bold, overeager scorer was a disastrous combination. We knew changes were coming but only Koby Altman knew which pieces might make sense.

Younger, longer and more athletic. The Cavaliers became all of this and more when they acquired Jordan Clarkson, George Hill, Rodney Hood and Larry Nance Jr. Yet, the most valuable asset the Cavaliers gained in the trade was adding players with a characteristic that goes beyond statistics: an ability to accept.

This characteristic reaps benefits in a variety of ways. First, it results in players accepting distinct roles. Due to LeBron being able to play every position on the court, the players that surround him typically are able to direct their focus on very specific elements of the game. After playing alongside LeBron for a few seasons, J.R. Smith and Kyle Korver know that if they can find space, their job on the offensive end is to catch and shoot, no matter where they might be.

While the new additions have played in only two games, their performances speak to the type of roles they are willing to embrace. Hill showed promise as a distributing, reliable point guard and demonstrated that his defensive capabilities could surpass what Kyrie or Isaiah ever had to offer in that position. Hood exceeded expectations scoring a total of 29 points off the bench in the two-game span and doing so in a variety of ways.

As for the Lakers duo, Clarkson went a combined 3-4 beyond the arc against the Celtics and backed it up with some of the swagger and defensive energy that has been desperately needed in Cleveland. Akron-native Nance Jr. was one rebound shy of a double-double (13 points, 9 rebounds) against Oklahoma City and proved that even without Kevin Love, the Cavaliers can have a rebounding presence on both ends of the floor.

Of course, it was only two games. But then again, in just two games, every piece of this new puzzle seemed to fit just right.

The ability to accept also has to do with, no surprise, LeBron. Hill praised James, calling him Batman and a great teammate. Hood, reflecting on when he attended James’ summer camp as a kid, was quick to call him “the best player of our generation” and cited the opportunity to play with him as a “huge boost.”

All four players are coming off stints with teams that lack true leadership and identity. They are hungry to follow LeBron’s lead and are accepting of the role they have alongside of him.

Batman comments aside, what is crucial to the Cavaliers success is how LeBron has responded. Well, LeBron seems pretty happy about his new teammates to say the least. So far, so very, very good.

Believeland remains his kingdom for however long he chooses it to be, and for right now, it appears he has a full squad behind him that is willing to accept that reality. So sit back and enjoy because it’s still The LeBron Show in Cleveland and that’s exactly how it should be.

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