Cleveland Cavaliers: Cedi Osman continues his path of improvement

Cleveland Cavaliers fan favorite and rookie forward Cedi Osman has been making real improvements to his game since the start of the season.

Cedi Osman is one of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ hardest workers, often seen going through drills with player development coach Phil Handy hours before tipoff on game day. He’s ingratiated himself with the veterans on the roster and does drills in a group of LeBron James, Kyle Korver and J.R. Smith (Channing Frye used to be a part of the group as well).

As a result, his improvements should have been expected.

It’s been more or less obvious all month but Osman has been getting into his groove. On Saturday against the Denver Nuggets, Osman had 13 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist on 6-7 shooting from the field and 1-2 shooting from three-point range.

However, it wasn’t just his stat line that was impressive. It was the play of Osman himself. He looked comfortable. He looked like he belonged.

Osman has been averaging 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.6 steals per game since the start of February. In that time, he’s been shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 46.4 percent from three-point range (2.3 attempts per game).

Osman had been averaging 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.2 steals per game from the first game of the season to February. In that time, he was shooting 48.6 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from three-point range.

This has led to him having a true shooting percentage (TS%) of 64.2 percent, an effective field goal percentage (eFG%) of 65.9 percent and an offensive rating of 115 in this stretch.

Osman had a TS% of 57.8 percent, an eFG% of 55.7 percent and an offensive rating 113 from the first game of the season to February.

He’s scored in double figures in 4 out of the 12 contests and has scored in double-digits in 4 out the 10 contests where he’s played at least 14 minutes per game.

While his offensive improvements are notable, from the smoother shooting stroke to his ability to play point-forward, his defensive responsibilities are even more significant.

You can often see Osman guarding the best perimeter player on the floor, whether they’re a point guard, shooting guard or small forward. He’s also a player whose hustle and instincts have allowed him to come up with steals that get the Cavaliers on the fast break.

For the Cleveland Cavaliers, Osman’s improvements will be crucial for the team at least until the postseason. At the point when Kevin Love comes back and Cedi Osman finds himself removed from the starting lineup, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue will have to decide whether or not to go with an 11-man rotation. An 11-man could make the team more dynamic and improve the energy of the rotation with their depth but have a negative effect on chemistry with players less sure of when they’ll come in the game or who’ll they be on the court with.

If Lue chooses to go with a 9-man or 10-man rotation though, he’ll have to sit his most energetic defender on the bench. A player who has made marked improvements on offense.

In any case, Osman has proven that he can make a significant and positive impact on both sides of the court. So when the Cavaliers play teams with explosive scorers, they at least know what Osman can provide if they choose to call his number.