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Ranking the Cleveland Cavaliers’ top 5 small forwards

By Quinn Minnich

Dean Wade and Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports)
Dean Wade and Caris LeVert, Cleveland Cavaliers (Photo by David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports) /
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Cedi Osman, Cleveland Cavaliers. (Photo by Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports) /

4 – Cedi Osman

I love Cedi. I think he’s a great guy, but I do think he’s best suited off of the bench. Currently, Osman is ranked seventh in the league in total +/-, ahead of names like Joel Embiid, Ja Morant, and Kevin Durant. His 3-point shooting isn’t the best, either. Only 34% isn’t the worst ever but definitely should be improved.

The Cavs’ bench ranks 1st overall in net rating at the moment, too. Also, he is shooting 40% from the corner 3-point shot. But, he is rather inconsistent, in my opinion, and he shouldn’t really be the starting small forward for a championship roster.

I remember the old days, when Cedi Osman was the starting small forward, way back when (like 3 years ago). The Cavs weren’t a really good team back then, not to say Cedi was the main culprit for the Cavs not being a good team. However, he had a terrible +/- in the 2018-19 season, a miserable -641.

3 – Lamar Stevens

Lamar Stevens does all you need for an athletic power forward. His hustle is tremendous, he is a great finisher, and he’s a good defender. His jump shot isn’t there yet, but I still do believe he is a better fit as the small forward than both Okoro and Osman.

Looking at his stats, he is averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per night. His shooting isn’t that good, to be honest, but I still do like him as a player. His effort does not go unnoticed, as he has won the Cavs’ chain(the player of the game award for the Cavaliers) many times.

Just like Osman and Okoro, his 3-point shot isn’t too reliable, shooting 29.8% from deep this season. His effective field goal percentage of 47.4% isn’t that pleasant to look at, but Garland’s and Mitchell’s offense should definitely make up for what Stevens lacks if he were to start at the 3 for the remainder of the season.

His +/- is also a -9 on the season, which isn’t awful, but Cleveland would definitely like him to be in the positive for the season. Stevens is a really talented player, but I am not sure if he is the best player for the Cavs to start at the 3.