Previewing The Browns’s Top Fantasy Assets For 2018
August 29, 2018Ohio State releases trailer for season opener against Oregon State
August 29, 2018Roughly an hour before tipoff as the Cavs were set to take on the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs, I was chatting with Randy Mims and a few Cavs employees about alternative playoff rules. There are certain windows before and after games where there’s a lull in the reporting action and superfluous conversations can run rampant. In this specific case, think #HoopIdea, but even more outlandish than some of the ideals that hashtag has derived.
We attempted to pretend that every team in the playoffs had the opportunity to add one player from non-playoff teams to their roster for their impending playoff run, selected in reverse order based on standings. We started tossing out names of players who would be considered, knowing how absurd this entire exercise was. Randy tossed out Andre Drummond’s name to which Kristaps Porzingas was mentioned. A debate ensued as to who was the better player—Randy was all about Drummond; the rest of us were on board with a (healthy) Porzignas. In search of support, Mims attempted to poll the locker room.
His first choice? Cedi Osman.
To be fair, half of the team was getting their pregame treatment in the trainer’s room while a handful were taking warm-up shots—the pool of potential respondents was slim. Nevertheless, Osman, the 23-year-old rookie was his go-to.
When LeBron James hit his game-winner over Indiana several days earlier, the first person to meet him mid-air in celebration: Cedi Osman. There’s a reason why, despite James’ initial preference, the Cavaliers front office brought Cedi stateside last season instead of using that roster space on someone like Jamal Crawford. There’s a reason why, when the team had Jordan Clarkson ready and waiting amidst injuries last season, Ty Lue opted to roll with Cedi as the team’s starting point guard.1
And there’s a reason why, despite having a cavalcade of options with whom to train in Los Angeles, James—along with Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, two of the game’s best—chose Osman to be their running mate.
Apparently there was an interesting workout at UCLA today… pic.twitter.com/WglSlSec1a
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 21, 2018
For 11 of the last 15 seasons, LeBron James was the Cleveland Cavaliers’ starting small forward. During those other four seasons, the space was occupied by a cornucopia of players ranging from athletic hopefuls like Christian Eyenga and Alonzo Gee to inexpensive veterans like Anthony Parker and Joey Graham. Jamario Moon started games. Jawad Williams started one. Omri Casspi was brought in for his corner three-point shooting prowess, and went on to produce the lowest PER of his first seven seasons. CJ Miles averaged 11.2 points per game for the Cavs in 2012-13, and would serve as the vocal leader for a team in dire need of direction, but the Luol Deng experiment a season later would cut into his playing time.
If you wanted to argue the Miles was the best wing to wear the wine and gold during non-LeBron years, you wouldn’t have much in the way of a counter. There’s a chance, however, that that honor may be handed to a 210-pound Turkish kid with just 672 minutes of playing time on an NBA floor.
This isn’t to say that Osman—who averaged 12.7 points and 6.4 rebounds on a per-36-minute basis last season—will be held in the same light as any of the three men he played alongside Tuesday afternoon at UCLA. This isn’t to say he will even be held in similar light to any of the wings below them on the league’s pecking order. But many, including former Cavs GM David Griffin, are believers in what the Cavs’ No. 16 can do once given the chance to shine.
Replacing legends is no easy task. Ask David Lee Roth when he attempted to replace Howard Stern. Ask Sammy Hagar when he attempted to replace David Lee Roth. Ask any kicker to play in Cleveland subsequent to Phil Dawson. But if any player is positioned well to succeed after spending the majority of the time in the shadows, it’s Osman.
“Some people bring out the worst in you, others bring out the best. And there are remarkably rare ones who just bring out the most of everything that even you don’t know that you have,” Osman wrote following James’ decision to leave for the Los Angeles Lakers. “They build you up. They make you feel alive. They make you feel strong. They make you feel indisputable. From the first moment we met, you’ve always been that rare one for me, King. I don’t believe in coincidences. I choose to believe my path crossed with you for a reason. And that reason will be uncovered as I continue to walk through. Please accept my highest gratitude for your support and appreciation for your inspiration. I’m truly blessed to have been surrounded by your charm.”
Now, it will be Cedi’s turn to have his name called among the starting five on a regular basis. It will be Cedi’s turn to play a position that has been the absolute definition of being locked down during James’ time in Cleveland.
The good news is, when James left the first time, fans were infatuated with filling his spot. Some were so desperate, they saw the height and weight of Derrick Williams and wanted to select him over Kyrie Irving.2 This time, Cedi is one part known commodity and another part ‘OK kid, let’s see what you can do.’
No one is expecting 28, 9 and 9, but with a reformed shot (thanks to Kyle Korver) and an entire runway of playing time ahead of him, there’s plenty of reason for fans to be excited about what’s to come, even if such production falls drastically short of what they’ve become accustomed to over the last four seasons. Training in the offseason with three eventual Hall of Famers isn’t a bad way to get things started.
By the way: Cedi was on #TeamPorzingas.
This Week in #ActualSportswriting:
- “The Fearless Bailey Foley” by Tim Keown (ESPN The Magazine)
- “How Kate Upton Saved Justin Verlander’s Career” by Brandon Sneed (Bleacher Report)
- “Pitchers Like Shane Bieber Show Why Control May Be Making a Comeback Over Command” by Peter Gammons (The Athletic)3
This Week in #ActualNonsportswriting:
- “Dear Mr. President” by Jeanne Marie Laskas (The Guardian)
- “The Impossible Job: Facebook’s Struggle to Moderate Two Billion People” by Jason Koebler and Joseph Cox (Vice)4
- “The Water Crises Aren’t Coming — They’re Here” by Alec Wilkinson (Esquire)
- “How TripAdvisor Changed Travel” by Linda Kinstler (The Guardian)
Have a Cedi Wednesday, you guys.
- There was also the “we’re giving Cedi more playing time” angle that led to Dwyane Wade’s midseason trade, but it’s clear there was more to that story. [↩]
- Looking at you, Tony Rizzo. [↩]
- “In an age when teenagers grow up hitting 98-mph fastballs from fellow teenagers, pure velo doesn’t have the same play it used to. The rising rate in surgeries is thought to be enhanced by kids trying to hit 100 before they are physically mature. Hence, the renewed search for command.” [↩]
- A three-month investigation come to life. [↩]