Three former Cleveland Cavaliers players to root for in Orlando

A former Cleveland Cavaliers player to root for in Orlando: Kyle Korver

Another former Cavs player that’s easy to root for in Orlando is Kyle Korver, who is a rotational player for the Milwaukee Bucks. Korver’s Bucks currently own the NBA’s best record, and for Milwaukee, they’d make it the second year in a row where had the league’s best regular season record.

More from King James Gospel

• 3 possible starting lineups for Cleveland Cavaliers in 2023-24
• The Cavaliers may have snagged a hidden gem in Craig Porter Jr.
• 4 players the Cavaliers should pursue in 2024 free agency
• 6 players Cavaliers might replace Jarrett Allen with by the trade deadline
• This stat is one to keep an eye on for Cavaliers’ Max Strus in years ahead

Korver, even in his 17th NBA season, is still one of the most lethal catch-and-shoot/off movement shooters in the league.

Despite only playing 16.7 minutes per game with the Bucks thus far in 2019-20, he’s attempted 4.1 three-pointers per game. He’s hit 41.5 percent of those, too, and just as was the case in his Cavs days, Korver has made his presence felt.

In his time with the Wine and Gold, which most notably included postseason runs in 2017 and 2018, Korver knocked down a scorching 45.4 percent from downtown. His effective field goal shooting clip was a scorching 64.1 percent, too.

Korver meshed alongside pieces such as James, who hit him so often, and Korver’s presence as a shooter made Kevin Love, James and earlier on, Kyrie Irving, ever more dangerous.

In this upcoming postseason push, Korver should again be a knockdown shooting presence for the Bucks when his number is called throughout games by Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer.

Korver has only aided the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton, Brook Lopez, George Hill, seemingly Wesley Matthews and others even more with his ability to hit shots from the parking lot.

What was also played into why Korver was so likable when he was on the Cavs was him as a teammate. He seemed so revered, given that he was always the consummate professional, and you could see that with how he conducted himself on and off the floor.

That was even leading up to when the Cavs ended up trading Korver to the Utah Jazz early on in 2018-19 as they began to shift toward a full rebuild.

In addition, Korver, who previously wrote an essay for The Players’ Tribune centered on white privilege and racism titled “Privileged,” has continued to be a staunch supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement during such a difficult time. He’s hit on how we need to see real change, and including in the NBA, to help combat systemic racism and racial injustice.

With how Irving and some others have reportedly pushed for the NBA to value social justice efforts more so than the season restart, Korver recently talked about how he will do whatever his peers want to do, seemingly in relation to black players.

On a recent appearance with his former Cavs teammate in Richard Jefferson on ESPN’s SportsCenter‘s Instagram Live, Korver touched on how he again will do whatever his peers want to do. Here was more on that, as was transcribed by ESPN’s Eric Woodyard.

"“If my black teammates and friends and brothers feel like the best way to go about real change is to not play, I stand with them. I’m OK with that. If we think that is the best way for change, I care more about change happening than a championship,” Korver told ESPN analyst and retired NBA player Richard Jefferson during SportsCenter’s Instagram Live on Tuesday. “On the other side, I am on a team that feels like we could win, and I have never won. I would like to win. So, is there a way to do both? I think there’s a conversation there.”"

Korver did further emphasize how he again will follow the lead of his “black brothers and teammates on this,” though, as Woodyard noted.

As of now, even factoring in social justice efforts and COVID-19, the majority of NBA players involved, such as James, do still want to have the season concluded, however, and a champion to be crowned.

In that realm, the NBA and NBPA announced via press release that they have come to an agreement on a finalization for the plan of the season’s resumption, which will be begin on July 30. The schedule will reportedly be announced later on Friday, and NBA commissioner Adam Silver stressed how there will be a “platform to address social justice issues,” per that release, which is good to know.

So, with how Korver was such an incredible catch-and-shoot presence and teammate on the Cavaliers alongside James and others, he’s a player that’s easy for Cavs fans to root for in Orlando.

It’d be cool to see the player that’s fourth all-time in three-pointers made finally win a ring, and he and the Bucks will have a heck of a nice shot.

Moving on, another former Cleveland Cavaliers player that comes to mind that’d I’ll be rooting for in Orlando was a big-time bench scorer.