By Liam McKeone
Cavaliers GM Koby Altman single-handedly saved Cleveland’s season, and maybe his job, during the trade deadline last week. The pre-deadline Cavs, despite coming off a big win against Minnesota where everyone played well, were left for dead by the rest of the NBA. They were playing uninspired, inefficient and low-effort basketball, sliding down the rankings further with each day. Players were throwing shade towards each other via the media, and Kevin Love was blamed for everything, even though it was only mostly his fault. But, suddenly, Altman turned LeBron’s group of old bickering teammates on an athletic decline into three young, hungry players and a vet ready for a ring. After their stomping of the Celtics on national television Sunday, the Cavs put the rest of the league on notice: they’re still the team to beat in the East.
Jordan Clarkson and Larry Nance Jr., acquired for Isaiah Thomas, Channing Frye and the Cavs’ 2018 first-round pick from the Los Angeles Lakers, made their mark immediately on Sunday and look to be the two biggest takeaways from the trade deadline this year. Clarkson is an excellent scorer and can take the roll Thomas was supposed to embrace being the sparkplug for the second unit. He’s not likely to start, but can play next to LeBron when he needs to; he’s less of a ball-dominant player than Thomas, although he still struggles with an inconsistent three-point shot. Defensively, he’ll be an upgrade over Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade or Thomas, although that’s not exactly difficult. Nance is a completely different type of player, but will play equally as big a role as Clarkson in the upcoming months, and especially the playoffs. He’s a versatile and athletic defender who can play center in a pinch and be able to switch on just about anyone for a possession or two. Offensively, he isn’t a shooter a la Kevin Love, but has shown himself to be a capable screener who can finish at the rim with some consistency, shooting nearly 60 percent within three feet of the rim. He won’t be filling up the stat sheet, but will probably end up taking minutes from Tristan Thompson as a high-energy big man who does the little things right. They’ll both play a big role in this year’s hunt for a title and beyond; both are only 25, and Cleveland will no doubt look to retain them if The Decision Part 2 materializes this summer.
Rodney Hood is perhaps the most intriguing player acquired by the team, with the Cavs only having to give up Jae Crowder and the remains of Derrick Rose for the 25-year-old shooting guard. Hood is a sharpshooter who has hit over 35 percent of his threes every season he’s been in the league, and is at nearly 40 percent in the 2017-2018 season. At 6’8”, he has the size and the shooting to help the Cavs compete come playoff time against the Warriors’ army of long-armed, sharpshooting wings.. The biggest thing for Hood is to stay healthy. He’s yet to play a full season in his six years in the league, and only played 40 games last year. But if he can, the combination of Hood and George Hill, acquired from the Kings on deadline day, completely transforms the Cavs’ backcourt. Hill has shot over 40 percent from three every season since 2015, plays good defense and has yet to win a championship. He’s ready to play, and so are the Cavs.
