When the Cleveland Cavaliers signed Mario Hezonja earlier in July, it was mostly swept under the rug. The signing also happened right after LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, which not only stole the headlines, but left most wondering whether or not Hezonja was a legit backup plan to losing out on James.
The early returns on Hezonja have been nothing short of positive. He’s much bigger than the last time he was in the NBA, as he is now 6’9” and 260 pounds. He has a much more mature attitude, saying that his job is just to give his best and fit with the team.
He has also had a very strong training camp, with many of his teammates being pleasantly surprised with his high-level offense and IQ. With Cleveland taking the court for preseason games this week, one thing about Hezonja is clear.
Mario Hezonja will be in the opening night rotation
And who would have thought to say that just four months ago?
It is no secret that the Cavs needed more positional size this summer. Even though they made the conference finals, their lack of length and versatility on the wing plagued them throughout the postseason.
They did have Dean Wade and Max Strus, but both had flaws that led to Cleveland shifting back and forth between those two. Wade’s offense left a lot to be desired and teams would not even guard him on the perimeter. Strus was simply overmatched and did not have enough size defensively to compete with bigger forwards, despite his best efforts.
That is where the addition of Peyton Watson and the continued development of Jaylon Tyson help with the wing problem immensely, but adding Hezonja to that puzzle cannot be overlooked as well.
Hezonja can create off the dribble and has the athleticism to play above the rim. He also has good range on his jump shot and his ability to play either the three or the four will give head coach Kenny Atkinson a ton of lineup flexibility throughout the year.
Defensively is the question with him, as he does have the size to compete and showed that in Europe, but adjusting to NBA competition is what Hezonja has to do.
It remains to be seen whether or not the Cavs truly upgraded their wing depth this summer, but the early returns have been super positive. Hezonja will have the chance to be a difference maker right away and it could lead to a longer NBA stint this time.
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