King James Gospel
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Chemistry is key for the remainder of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ season

By JR DePierro

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 11: Jordan Clarkson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 11, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 11: Jordan Clarkson #8 of the Cleveland Cavaliers drives to the basket during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 11, 2018 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Although the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Washington Wizards on Thursday night, another game is in the books which increases the minimal chemistry this newly formed team has.

Despite the “new” Cleveland Cavaliers playing only three games together, they’ve shown positive signs of what’s to come when things start clicking. Nevertheless, the journey to get there will require patience and hard work.

Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue still has to figure out which starting line-up will be the most productive. As of now, the Cedi Osman experiment seems to be going well. When Lue starts Osman, he adds a long and athletic forward which benefits the Cavaliers on the defensive end.

However, the current starting lineup can easily change over the course of the next few weeks. Regardless of however Lue switches up the starting line-up, if he does, the bench will remain deep. This is a major positive for the Cavaliers.

What to look forward to

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What’s most impressive about the “new” Cavaliers is the fact that the bench maintains leads, as well as increases them. This will go a long way in the playoffs when LeBron James (top three in minutes played this season) needs his rest. As the chemistry between the players builds, positive production should become consistent.

Don’t expect this chemistry building process to be smooth sailing either. Four new players have been added to the Cavaliers and all are involved in the rotation. Rough patches will occur but the end result could be fun to watch.

As we saw with the former Cavs, it’s not easy to just put a team together and succeed. While the Cavs did win their first two games, this team is still yet to prove its longevity, a factor that we should start to see as they continue to compete.

Don’t forget about Kevin

Finally, keep in mind Kevin Love is injured. He is reportedly supposed to return by the end of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how Love fits with the team defensively.

If the Cavaliers can play a couple of games together while integrating Love, it would be extremely beneficial. Lue can get a sense of whom to play together, see the different variations of line-ups and production on the court.

Must Read: New additions should help yield long-term second unit success

Most importantly, they will continue to build up their chemistry.