Note: the “stock up, stock down” doesn’t necessarily refer to trade stock, but is a way to review how the Cleveland Cavaliers’ players have been performing, as I’ve noted before.
As the season winds down, here is the last addition of Cleveland Cavaliers’ Stock Up, Stock Down.
Stock Up: Collin Sexton
No one’s stock has risen as rapidly as the “Young Bull.”
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Collin Sexton has been playing excellent basketball as of late and really taken on a lot more of a scoring role, aided in large part by his improved three-point stroke ball (50.8 percent over the past 10 games, per NBA.com).
He is still struggling to rack up assists (as he has just 3.3 per 36 minutes, per Basketball Reference) and it is growing more and more apparent he’s a scoring lead guard – and that is okay, as we’ve detailed recently and on other occasions, though.
Stock Steady: Kevin Love
Despite a poor showing against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Kevin Love‘s regular addition to the lineup has been a much-needed lift for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
He has been rock solid for the most part, putting up 15.0 points (though it’s only been on 49.3 percent true shooting) and 11.3 rebounds per game in his last six contests, per NBA.com.
Love is showing he can still be a really good player in the NBA; whether he’ll recapture his Minnesota Timberwolves’ form remains to be seen.
Stock Steady: Cedi Osman
Cedi Osman continues to improve his game as he’s done all year. He may not be the most consistent player, but he has been a steady force in the starting lineup over the past two or so months.
In the past 10 contests, Osman is averaging 13.6 points on 53.1 percent true shooting, to go with 3.9 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game, per NBA.com. He is also shooting 38.2 percent from beyond the arc in that stretch.
Cedi has shown, while he may not have star potential, he can be a steady and solid NBA starter, at least on the offensive end, in coming years. His defense can improve with more experience, anyhow.
Stock Down: Marquese Chriss
Marquese Chriss got off to a solid start with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and showed flashes of why he was a lottery pick just a few short years ago. In his first four games (a tiny sample size) he knocked down 56.3 percent of his threes, but unfortunately this was not a sign of things to come.
Chriss has seen his minutes diminish greatly. In the last 15 games, he’s only played 13.6 minutes per night, and only has a true shooting rate of 40.6 percent, according to NBA.com.
Thanks so much for tuning into Stock Up, Stock Down this season, readers, and please keep viewing this series, and all of our KJG individual player analysis next season! Go Cavs!