King James Gospel
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If Hood starts, who will the Cavaliers bring off the bench?

By Nathan Beighle

CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 6: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors in Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 6, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 6: Rodney Hood #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors in Game Three of the 2018 NBA Finals on June 6, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. 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 Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 6: Cedi Osman #16 and Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on against the the Washington Wizards during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 6, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 6: Cedi Osman #16 and Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers looks on against the the Washington Wizards during the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League on July 6, 2018 at the Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

The case for Cedi Osman

Cedi Osman, LeBron’s understudy, will be in his second season in the NBA after coming over from Turkey last offseason. The 23-year-old is part of the Cavs push towards a younger core in Cleveland.

Last season, he averaged 3.9 points per game yet played just 11 minutes per game. Per 36, Osman averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds. Behind James and Jeff Green, Osman’s minutes were extremely limited, but that didn’t stop him from showing flashes of stardom during the season.

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Osman’s most valuable trait is his three-point shooting. Osman shot almost 37% from downtown last season, better than both LeBron and Hood. And, if his shot is anything like it was during his short stint at the Las Vegas Summer League, that number might be on the rise.

A combination of Hood and Osman together would give the Cavs a highly energetic unit. The Cavs management loves Osman because of his controlled tenacity. He’d be a good fit to get out with Hood and run the court, hopefully creating easy transition buckets.

Defense will be another issue for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, and at 109.1, Osman posted of the team’s below-average defensive ratings. If Osman can prove to be a capable defender and a stellar hustle player, he’ll eventually secure a starting spot.

But, he may have to earn it first.

If he’s a starter, it’ll be over two veteran players, the most notable of which is the renown JR Smith.