Amidst all the praise that LeBron James received for his game-winning shot versus the Minnesota Timberwolves Wednesday, there was another player who stood out in that game. Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Tyronn Lue recognized it following their 140-138 overtime win and he will be rewarding Cedi Osman with more minutes in their upcoming games.
Osman may be a rookie, but he has the smarts of a veteran and the energy of a high school player.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin caught up with Lue who commented on one of the heroes of their recent win.
“I’ve got to keep playing him,” Lue says. “I mean, he brings a lot. He can guard 1s, 2s and 3s. He knows the coverages, he’s in the right spot defensively all the time, and offensively he can make plays. He can run the floor and can catch and go. For a rookie, he really understands how to play the game, and we have to find minutes for him.”
Minutes are hard to come by in this Cavs roster, but Lue will have to do it even if he has to move heaven and Earth to get it done just like he did in the Timberwolves game.
“Coach has been talking all the time to me, and I’m always ready,” Osman said. “Seriously, today when I get in the game, I was so thirsty — I was just going out and bringing energy to the team. I’m so happy I was a part of the win tonight.”
Osman finished the game with nine points, four rebounds, and one steal. He also shot 3-of-5 from the field including 2-of-4 from the 3-point line.
Even with the new additions to the team after the Cavs’ trade-deadline haul, Lue has to make sure that he gets Osman playing time with LeBron James and Jeff Green. To prove how effective those three are together, McMenamin referred to the numbers:
“James, Osman, and Green have a net rating of plus-10.2 in 76 minutes played together this season.”
The eye test shows it and statistics support it. Osman definitely deserves more playing time.