Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman appears to be turning a corner

After what has been a bumpy last couple of months, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ second-year forward Cedi Osman is starting to turn the corner. It’s exactly what the Wine and Gold could’ve asked for and more.

In the aftermath of LeBron James leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers last July, Cedi Osman was one of the main players that would be tasked with stepping up their game post-LeBron.

Osman, 23, was only entering his second season and played only 11.0 minutes per game in his rookie season, per Basketball Reference. But unlike most second-year players, Osman had the chance to play with and learn from the best basketball player on the planet.

Osman clearly relished his time playing alongside LeBron, and even after James departed from the Cavaliers, Osman clearly was grateful.

He posted this thoughtful message on his Instagram account shortly after the decision went down back in July.

Osman clearly caught the attention of the four-time MVP, receiving an invite from James to work out with him during the summer in California. Not only did James attend that workout, but he was also joined by fellow All-Stars Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard.

At first glance, it was an interesting pairing. How did Osman, a relatively unknown player in most NBA circles, get an invite to this workout amongst the NBA’s best?

It was not an opportunity wasted by Osman, who clearly took quite a bit away from that summer workout.

Osman told the media back in September, “I said, ‘Wow, the three best small forwards in the world and I’m going to have an opportunity to learn from them and to work out with them,'” Osman said. “That’s something that I will not forget, ever.” (h/t Marla Ridenour of The Akron Beacon Journal)

Going from a role player to one of the faces of the franchise is quite a leap for any second-year player, and Osman displayed some inconsistencies early on in the season.

Osman played in all seven of the Cavaliers’ games in October and had scoring games of 17, 20 and 22 points. But in the other four games had three, eight, ten and 12-point games.

Osman started the season out hitting 42.4 percent of his three-point attempts during the month of October, but that number dipped over the next two months. November saw Osman hit just 27.6 percent of threes and that number went down to 26.4 percent in December, per NBA.com.

There were still flashes of talent from Osman during the final months of 2018. There were back-to-back 20+ point games against the Los Angeles Lakers and at the Philadelphia 76ers over Thanksgiving weekend and then there was a 22-point, eight-rebound game (8-for-12 shooting) against the Atlanta Hawks in late December.

The trick for Osman as the calendar turned to 2019 was to consistently put these good games together.

It appears that Osman is doing just that as the month of January is coming to an end.

In Osman’s last 10 games, he’s averaging 15.2 points and has hit 36.7 percent of his shots from beyond the arc, per NBA.com. He scored a career-high 25 points at the Boston Celtics while hitting 6-of-7 three-point shots, per ESPN.

Then, two nights later, Osman topped that career-best when he poured in 29 points (3-for-8 on three-pointers).

In that aforementioned 10-game stretch, Osman’s hitting 49.1 percent of his shots while collecting 1.2 steals per game.

He is also showing an increased aggressiveness at attacking the rim and getting to the line (2.9 foul shots per game in his last 10) as the season has gone on. He’s setting his feet and playing under control. He has eight games of 20 or more points this season, per Basketball Reference.

Now, with Osman figuring out his game on the offensive end, it is time he turns his attention to the defensive side of the ball. As of now, Cleveland allows 118.6 points per 100 possessions with Osman on the court, per NBA.com. In short, that’s not good.

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Osman and Cavaliers’ rookie point guard Collin Sexton are two players this franchise is counting on moving forward, but the duo is statistically two of the worst defenders in the NBA.

Both Sexton and Osman have shown the capability to score the basketball (seemingly every player can do that nowadays) but with a major defensive liability for both players, that is a legitimate concern moving forward.

Osman is still young, and only in his second season. Being expected to help lead a franchise at age 23 is not for everyone, but Osman is showing the ability to learn and grow. The next step for him will be to commit to the defensive side of the ball.

Pairing Osman’s improved offensive skills with a commitment to defense may just give the Cavaliers a franchise cornerstone in the coming years.

If and when Osman hits a rough patch in his career, he can do something most players in his shoes could not do, dial up the league’s best player and pick his brain.

The criticisms of Osman are more than fair, but it is key we give him time to figure it all out. Not all players can be a franchise player in their early years but Osman has shown dedication to improving, which is something you want out of a young player such as Cedi.