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CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland Cavaliers will end up with one of the worst records in the league. This does not mean that the season has been lost.
Just watch the win on Saturday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Kevin Love led the way. It was still the idea, the reception giving him a heavy contract extension of $ 120 million to anchor the post-LeBron reconstruction. Love dragged her sore left foot during the first week before choosing surgery. His absence, which lasted beyond three months, quickly derailed Cleveland's competitive plan and led to one of the most disastrous starts in franchise history.
But winning games was not the only goal. This season has also been dedicated to player development, building a culture of strength and resilience, adding future strengths and answering questions.
The bumpy ride without love led the Cavaliers to what they are today – and it's not all wrong. Due to his injury and subsequent losses, they will be able to retain their 2019 first-round pick instead of giving it to the Atlanta Hawks, allowing them to add another youngster (Zion Williamson-RJ Barrett-Ja Morant ?) to this core – a nice byproduct. The loss of love has also accelerated the growth of some of the centerpieces. Now, these potential building blocks of the franchise have begun to pave the way for respectability.
"I think in the last week or the last ten days, talking about the positives, these guys have intensified," Love said. "Between Collin (Sexton) and Cedi (Osman), they did a great job. A hard night for Larry (Nance Jr.) tonight, but he showed some brilliant moments. I mentioned Z (Ante Zizic), a lot of guys who filled the stats sheet for us, and a lot of good things were happening. "
If you're looking to identify the heart of Cleveland, Love has helped you. These are the four – Sexton, Osman, Nance and Zizic – with Love, provided the Cavs are not impressed by a commercial offer this summer. Tristan Thompson, again foot injured, is difficult to include in this group as he will be an unrestricted free agent after next season. Same for Jordan Clarkson.
Sexton, the 8th overall pick of the NBA 2018 project, continues to evolve. Osman has been named rising star, one of 10 international players invited to participate in the showcase of first and second year players at the weekend of the stars. Nance signed a contract extension before the season and averaged his career in points (9.1), rebounds (8.2), assists (3.0) and flights (1.4). The Cavs chose Zizic's contractual option earlier this year and were pleased with its progress.
"Very rewarding," said Drew. "What I always ask myself and what I always look for, is where are they now when it comes to their game. It's a very easy answer for me. They are not the same players they were at the beginning of the season and they certainly grew up. They managed to grow by playing, in error, understanding different situations and understanding what it takes to win. Sometimes, on the offensive, it may not be your evening and you have to learn to affect the game in other areas and I think the two guys have started doing it. "
In the 112-107 win over Memphis, Sexton scored 20 points on 8 of 16 field players and 4 of 6 from the back. He added six rebounds, five assists and two interceptions. This is the 13th game he has scored at least 20 and the fifth time in the last seven games. No rookie has reached more than two digits more than Sexton, who has reached that mark 51 times.
Part of the quintet that survived the late Memphis rally, Sexton showed the self-assurance and composure that was lacking in the early months. He played from time to time with the ball, seemingly comfortable in a different role. When the balloon was in his hands, he sailed the screens with more maturity, creating a space to shoot and finding overtaking lanes, which was a problem.
He even toppled the outside shots, including a timely triple at the end of the fourth quarter. Regarded as a black mark on the resume coming out of Alabama, the Sexton jumper improved with a lot of work. Of the recruits totaling more than 300 minutes, Sexton is third in percentage of 3 points, hitting 39.5% of his deep balls.
Osman, like Sexton, played late in the big games, turning a botched start into a promising result.
His 3-pointer gave Cleveland the advantage after Jonas Valanciunas removed him. Then came Osman's powerful dunk at the exit of Sexton, which forced the Grizzlies to call the timeout.
Do you remember earlier this season when Osman seemed frantic in those moments? Remember the blunder that he made against the Orlando Magic that cost Cleveland a win on the road? This time, the sophomore, whose confidence has never been so great, has lagged behind.
"I thought the two guys were playing quietly," said Drew of Sexton and Osman. "When going down, it was important to keep up the pace. We have not been accelerated. Being in such games is very beneficial for both guys. The more they will be in this type of situation, the more they will learn from it. Tonight I thought they had really played well downhill.
Sexton and Osman are two symbols of the player's development. The same goes for Zizic.
Against Valanciunas and Joakim Noah, Zizic scored 18 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes. The second-year center, which struggled to get out of the rotation early in the season, averaged 12.1 points on a 56% shot, or 8.9 rebounds in 14 games.
"Big Z is a bit like the forgotten man," said Drew. "We do not talk much about him, but at the end of the day, you look at the statistics sheet and see that he always flirts with a double-double. Tonight I thought he was playing a very solid match against a very good center. He just keeps getting better. "
When Love recovered in the fifth minute of the fourth quarter because he had reached the minute limit, the Cavs seemed vulnerable.
But Sexton, Osman, Nance and Zizic – the Core Four – as well as regular veteran Matthew Dellavedova, have held up.
The kids learned to survive without Love, who missed 50 games and looked idle while the team showed up at 11-39 without him. Of course, it was not the original plan. It made things more difficult. Inexperience has shown. Too much has been asked of Osman and Sexton. He tested the psyche and chemistry of the team. But this stretch could end up being a gift. And now they benefit even more.
"You can look at the little time he has spent and it's pretty clear. To see the flow when he is in the game and these two guys are with him, the ball moves, they play very well and I can see a real camaraderie between the three of these guys when they are out. and when we do something, the other two go beyond that, "said Drew, explaining how Love had helped Sexton and Osman. "I do not think it's too early to tell – he's on the ground and certainly opens up a lot of things for Collin, Cedi and the rest of our guys, he's terribly missed. to be able to stay healthy for the rest of the season. "
No matter where the Cavs finish in the standings, this should not define this season. This has never been supposed to be the sole marker of success.
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