Note: the “stock up, stock down” doesn’t necessarily refer trade stock, but more of a way to review how the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players have been performing.
After about a week of basketball, there have been a few standout players for the Cleveland Cavaliers, many of which are standing out for the wrong reasons.
Stock Up: Jordan Clarkson
Jordan Clarkson has looked good so far this year coming off the bench. He’s shooting 50.7 percent from the floor (per NBA.com), and is second on the team in scoring at 17.0 points a night, despite playing only 22.6 minutes a night. If Clarkson can continue scoring efficiently, he may play his way out of Cleveland, as a contender may trade for him to bolster their second unit.
Stock Up: George Hill
George Hill‘s stats certainly are not eye-popping at 12.0 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 boards per game, but he’s shooting the ball efficiently at 52.2 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. Hill’s solid play has been one of the few bright spots.
Stock Steady: Cedi Osman
After five games this year, Cedi Osman is proving he belongs. While he was thought of as more of a novelty this past year, Osman has developed into a solid NBA player. Averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 boards and 3.8 assists a contest, Osman has done a little of everything, including playing as a key pick-and-roll ball handling playmaker. While it is still a small sample size, it certainly appears Osman’s offseason work is paying off and he’s showing he can develop into a really solid role player.
Stock Down: Rodney Hood
Rodney Hood needs to perform well this year in order to earn a lucrative deal next year, and so far he hasn’t done much to warrant a big deal. Sought of as the de facto second scoring option, Hood hasn’t looked the part. Averaging 11.0 points on 38.6 percent from the field won’t get it done.
Stock Down: Tyronn Lue
Cleveland head coach Tyronn Lue preaches toughness and defense, yet the Cleveland Cavaliers are giving up 118.4 points per night, which is 25th in the league, per NBA.com. For the most part, the effort is there, but the execution is sorely lacking, and that leads one to wonder just what exactly the Cavs do in practice. Things aren’t much better on the offensive end; the Cavs score 105.4 points a night, which is also good for 25th in the league. They’re among the league’s worst in shooting the three-pointer in terms of efficiency, and have made the least in the league. The Cavs are also 28th in assists, and really don’t move the ball well enough to create efficient shots. All of this falls on the head coach. While the players play hard for Lue, they don’t play well.
Clearly, a number of Cleveland Cavaliers have work to do.