Cleveland Cavaliers: How Osman can be more effective on both ends

Letting the game come to him more

Sexton puts more consistent pressure on the opposing defense than Hill does in transition and with his speed, and even with Love out, Sexton is having a profound impact on the game as a penetrator. Even though he’s only averaging 2.3 assists per game, Sexton is making things happen consistently, and he’s making considerable strides as a passer seemingly every time he steps on the floor.

This kind of play from Sexton to Osman (who does a good job of attacking after the closeout) is something I’d like to see more often, as it’s a high-percentage shot that also opens up offensive rebounding opportunities over the course of games.

Having a really good passing big in Larry Nance Jr. (along with an above average passing big in Tristan Thompson) should enable Osman to get more catch-and-looks from three, too, and he has shown he can bury those at a high clip when he’s open. Although it is early in the season, and the sample size isn’t huge, the second-year wing from Turkey has placed in the 85th percentile in spot-ups on a frequency of 17.2 percent, per Synergy Sports Technology.

I still want Osman to take open threes off the dribble when the opportunity presents itself, and I understand that he’s only shooting 14.3 percent from three this month, but in order for defenders to respect him more, he’ll need to keep shooting that shot. Considering the Cavaliers are going nowhere in 2018-19, Osman needs to let it fly, even if there’s some that are contested.

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His driving ability is minimal when he’s not hitting from deep, and when that’s the case, Osman tends to force passes into the defense, and that often results in costly live-ball turnovers.

According to Basketball Reference, he has a nasty 19.2 turnover percentage, and that’s flared up in recent games. This month, Osman has a rough offensive rating of just 90.3, per NBA.com.

He needs to get back to finding baskets from off-ball movement, because when Osman is receiving passes on the move going toward the rim, he’s at his best. It’ll also allow him to get more free throw opportunities, which haven’t come often for him, and for young players and veterans alike, trips to the free throw line build confidence (he only has a 16.2 free throw rate).

Osman still needs to be aggressive with the ball in spots, but not go out of his way to make things happen and burn time on the shot clock. Plus, as KJG contributor Jackson Flickinger has consistently emphasized, Osman tends to force it too often.

With Love not back for a while, it will be crucial for him to let the game come to him, and not try to create passing lanes and driving lanes that aren’t there. His basketball IQ is good enough to make the adjustment in the near future, and I think with more experience, he’ll make the smart play more and trust that his teammates will set him up.

On the defensive end, he just needs to trust his technique a bit more, as the athleticism and versatility for him is there.